You Are What You Eat!... Getting Your Dose of Vitamin "Eye"

Hi everyone! I apologize for the delay in posting. The optimist optometrist has had a lot going on lately, but she's back and ready to talk about one of her favorite topics... nutrition and eye health! I had a patient the other day with macular degeneration who smokes and whose diet consists of potatoes and big macs... it reminded me of the importance of treating the patient as a whole and not just looking at the eyes alone.

What you put into your body certainly can affect many body systems, including those windows to your soul!

Anyone remember "Supersize Me"? I saw the movie and also read his second book, and found it quite interesting how many problems arose after a relatively short time of eating only McDonald's. We are so busy that sometimes it's hard to take the time to eat healthy foods. Hopefully we are trending toward healthier living.

So, let's talk about those eyeballs... What nutrients affect the eyes, and how do I get them? Let's talk about a few of the important ones:

Lutein & Zeaxanthin: These guys affect the health of a very important part of the eye called the macula. They are both antioxidants, and they affect something called the macular pigment optical density (MPOD). People with high MPOD levels have greater tolerance for glare, which can help night driving. They act like internal sunglasses to filter out harmful light. These nutrients can reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. Popeye probably has pretty high MPOD levels, since these nutrients are often found in spinach.

Vitamin C: As a Florida girl, I love my citrus fruits! Vitamin C is found in fruits such as oranges and grapefruits. Vitamin C affects many cells in the body, including those of the eye. Vitamin C can be especially important to reduce the risk of certain types of cataracts. Go drink some O.J.!

Vitamin E: Vitamin E is good for repairing cell membranes. Everyone wants healthy cell membranes, right? Your immune system is also affected by Vitamin E. This vitamin likes to hang out in foods such as nuts, fortified cereals, and sweet potatoes.

Essential Fatty Acids: Low levels of fatty acids are associated with dry eye syndrome. Dryness in the eyes can make your eyes feel uncomfortable, but increasing your EFAs can help deccrease the incidence of dry eyes. One way we optometrists look for signs of dryness in the eyes is by putting in a drop that lets us see dry spots on the front part of the eye (the cornea). A dry cornea has spots of dryness that look like the picture here. Essential Fatty Acids like DHA and EPA are found in fish such as salmon and tuna. Take a trip to Red Lobster or Bonefish Grille!

By the way, most of this info can be found on our national optometry association's website, http://www.aoa.org/. Not the stuff about Popeye though.

I also recently read a book about brain health, and a lot of the same nutrients that affect the eye also affect the brain. Good to know.

So, bottom line: What you put into your body affects you! I know I always feel better when I eat healthy foods. Your eyes need nutrients too, so don't forget about them! You may consider taking a dietary supplement if you are not getting adequate levels of nutrients via your diet. Also, stay positive about your health and your diet... don't get discouraged if you have a day or two when you need to eat chocolate (eat the dark kind... antioxidants!). Just remember that you are feeding all the cells of your body, and by eating nutritious foods, you can keep those cells happy.

Now go out and have some salmon with a side of spinach and a baked sweet potato, and drink some O.J.! Your eyes will love you for it.