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A number of chronic
diseases affect the eyes. Virtually all are associated with an accumulation of free radicals within the structures of the
eye, especially the retina, which contains all the nerve cells for vision. Many such diseases also are associated with chronic,
low-grade inflammation, as seen with aging, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. For a detailed discussion on inflammation
and its role in many diseases, see my newsletter "Inflammation: The Real Cause of Most Diseases." A new study out of
Hong Kong found that the beneficial chemical components in green tea extract were distributed throughout the eyes of rats
fed the extract. The various components of green tea were distributed in different eye structures.
For example, gallocatechin concentrated in the retina, and higher amounts of epigallocatechin were found in the aqueous humor
(front chamber). They also measured the level of lipid peroxidation in the eye (a measure of
free radical damage) and found that green tea significantly reduced this destructive process. This
is great news for all of us, since it shows that if we take green or white tea extract and drink white tea several times a
day, especially if we start early in life, we can potentially avoid many of the eye diseases associated with aging. To learn
more about the many ways green tea can improve your health, read my report "Miracle Tea."In addition to extracts of green or white tea, there are other plant extracts that add significantly
to this protection: • Curcumin • Quercetin • Ellagic acid • Luteolin •
Alpha-lipoic acid • Natural vitamin E • Magnesium • Vitamin C This is important to keep in mind: The retina contains
many glutamate receptors. This means that excitotoxins in your food can dramatically increase the severity of any of these
diseases and accelerate aging of the eyes. You should avoid almost all processed foods, especially
those that list MSG (monosodium glutamate) as an ingredient. Remember that MSG comes in many disguises and is often hidden
in ingredients such as caseinate, natural flavoring, hydrolyzed protein, vegetable protein extract or concentrate, soy protein
or soy protein isolate, autolyzed yeast, carrageenan, broth, and stock. For more information on food additives and the damage
they can cause to your body, read my newsletter " Food Additives: What You Eat Can Kill You."It is also important to avoid dietary fats (N-6 oils) such as those in this list that are known to promote
inflammation and lipid peroxidation: • Corn • Safflower • Sunflower • Peanut • Canola • Soybean To learn more about protecting your eyesight, read my special
report "Protecting Your Eyes."© 2010 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
Eating
Wolfberries May Help Improve Vision Problems Caused By Diabetes
 According to a new Kansas State University study, routinely consuming Chinese wolfberries may lower the oxidative stress that
the eye often undergoes in patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. A wolfberry is a bright orange fruit that has been used for years as an alternative
remedy to help boost the immune system, rebalance homeostasis and support the liver and kidneys. In an effort to better understand the medicinal
properties contained in wolfberries, the study’s lead author Daniel Lin, an assistant professor of human nutrition at
the university, and his colleagues found that the fruit contains high levels of zeaxanthin, lutein, polysaccharides and polyphenolics,
which have all shown to help prevent age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. "I would not say that wolfberries are a medicine,
but they can be used as a dietary supplement to traditional treatments to improve vision," Lin said. "Wolfberries have high antioxidant activity
and are very beneficial to protect against oxidative stress caused by environmental stimuli and genetic mutations," he
added. Although
wolfberries cannot be found in traditional United States food stores, they can be purchased at most Chinese markets or found
in dietary supplements.
Nuts About Your EyesRegardless of their shape,
size, or type, fatty foods may be bad for your eyes. With this exception: nuts!
Yep, eating nuts at least once a week
may help protect your peepers from vision-stealing conditions like macular degeneration.
Feed Your Vision
Scientists discovered that people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) could slow down the disease by eating one
or more servings of nuts a week. Makes sense. The supernutrients in nuts -- vitamin E, copper, magnesium, fiber, and resveratrol
-- all help protect against blood vessel problems that might contribute to AMD. (Use RealAge Smart Search to learn more about the condition.)
More Sight Savers
Not so nuts about nuts? Here are some other ways to keep your
eyes sharp. How's your vision?
Take the Amsler Eye Test at the end of this eye-health article.
The eye is the most important organ for seeing the world that surrounds
us. It is used in everything we do from reading a book and watching television to admiring the beauty of a flower or a loved
one.
Eyesight is a very precious sense, so it’s understandable that many people fear sudden loss or gradual
loss of vision. Can you imagine losing your eyesight? The thought alone is a horrible one. As we approach old age it’s
a thought that leaves an impression on our minds more and more.
The fact is, nobody is guaranteed perfect vision
forever, but saying that there are things you can do to protect your eyesight and keep your eyes healthy. One of them is to
do eye exercises, but in this article we’ll be looking at foods and vitamins to improve eyesight.
To ensure
your eyesight is in optimum condition you need to consume these foods and vitamins.
Vitamin A - Vitamin A also
known as retinol, occurs naturally in animals. This Vitamin keeps the skin healthy and helps produce mucous secretions to
build resistance to infection. If you don’t consume enough vitamin A you can end up with a condition known as Nyctalopia
(Night Blindness). Night blindness is the inability to of the eye to adapt to dim light, sufferers can see in the day, but
have trouble seeing in the dark or faint light.
People who don’t consume enough Vitamin A may also go on
to develop a condition called Xerophthalmia (Greek for dry eyes). This condition makes the surface of the eye become dry and
likely to develop infection.
Vitamin A - Vitamin A can be found in plants with carotenes, the body converts these
into Vitamin A. Carotenes can be found in carrots, cabbage and lettuce. Vitamin A can also be found in green and yellow vegetables,
butter, eggs, fish liver oils, liver, milk and sweet potatoes.
Another good Vitamin to improve eyesight is a Vitamin
called B2
Vitamin B2 - Vitamin B2. Vitamin B2 is also known as Riboflavin. It is needed for growth and for healthy
skin and eyes. Vitamin B2 can be found in the following foods. Green vegetables, poultry, fish, liver, cheese and milk.
The last of the Vitamins to improve eyesight will be looking is called Niacin
Niacin - Niacin is also known
as nicotinic acid. This Vitamin is essential for for growth and for health tissues. Without Niacin, Riboflavin cannot function
properly so in that respect it is quite essential. Niacin can be found in liver, yeast, lean meat, whole-grain and enriched
breads and cereals.
As you can see, consuming foods and vitamins to improve your eyesight is not difficult. The
vitamins a re found in common foods and sometimes you can get all of these vitamins from one single food i.e. liver appears
in all the lists for the 3 different vitamins.
Let just quickly recap the 3 Vitamins.
Vitamin A is also
known as Retinol, it stops you from getting Night Blindness and Xerophthalmia.
Vitamin B2 is also known as Riboflavin
and it is essential for health eyes.
Niacin is also known as nictonic acid, and without it Vitamin B2 cannot function
properly.
Thanks for reading Food and Vitamins to Improve Eyesight
Antioxidant Vitamins May Reduce Cataract
Risk | | Content provided by Reuters | | Sunday, February 3, 2008 |
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who eat lots of yellow or dark
leafy vegetables, as well as foods rich in vitamin E, may be reducing their risk of developing cataracts, according to new
research published in the Archives of Ophthalmology. "Although definitive data to guide public health recommendations regarding these and other nutrients in the prevention
of cataract will come from randomized trials, a continued recommendation to increase total intake of fruits and vegetables
seems warranted," Dr. William G. Christen, from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, told
Reuters Health. Researchers have hypothesized that oxidative damage can lead to cataract formation and that nutrients
with antioxidant capabilities, such as vitamin E, lutein and zeaxanthin, can protect against these changes, Christen and colleagues
note in their report. Lutein and zeaxanthin are the only carotenoids detected in the human lens and the oxidation products of lutein and zeaxanthin further support a role for these nutrients in preserving lens clarity,
they also note. Christen and colleagues studied the relationship between carotenoids and vitamin C and E in the
diet and the risk of cataracts in 35,551 women who enrolled in the Women's Health Study in 1993 and who were followed for
an average of 10 years. In detailed comparisons of the diets of 2,031 women who developed cataracts with the diets
of 33,520 women who did not, the researchers observed "significant inverse trends" in the risk of cataracts and
dietary quantities of lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin E. Further analysis suggested women with the highest amounts
of lutein and zeaxanthin in their diet (about 6,716 micrograms per day) had an 18 percent lower risk of cataract compared
with those with the lowest amounts (about 1,177 micrograms per day). Similarly, women with the highest dietary
levels of vitamin E from foods and supplements (about 262.2 milligrams per day) were 14 percent less likely than women with
the lowest levels (about 4.4 milligrams per day). In this study, higher levels of vitamin C were associated with
a "weak, and statistically nonsignificant, inverse association with risk of cataract," the investigators also report.
These data, Christen and colleagues note, indicate a decreased risk of cataract with higher dietary levels of lutein,
zeaxanthin and vitamin E. Although reliable data from other studies are accumulating that confirm the value of
vitamin E and other antioxidant vitamins, studies in which the subjects are randomly assigned to different levels of lutein
and zeaxanthin are lacking, they note. "Such information will help to clarify the benefits of supplemental
use of lutein/zeaxanthin," they add, "and provide the most reliable evidence on which to base public health recommendations
for cataract prevention by vitamin supplementation." SOURCE: Archives of Ophthalmology, January 2008.
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