sociated with the oxidative stress that causes retinal damage. Goji berries' high antioxidant profile
may further help protect against macular degeneration. A study published in the journal Optometry and Vision Science found that the boost in antioxidant and plasma zeaxanthin levels provided by daily dietary supplementation with goji berry for a period of 90 days protected elderly subjects' eyes from hypopigmenta- tion and soft drusen accumulation in the macula, tiny deposits of protein and fat that get deposited under the retina. The study also found that goji berries helped filter harmful high-energy blue wavelengths of light to protect and main- tain healthy cells in the eyes. Gojis, also called wolfberries, are available fresh in some locations, dried and as a juice or extract. Goji berry is generally well-toler- ated and associated with more than 20 beneficial pharmacological actions.
3. Carrots Carrots are widely known to be ben-
eficial for eye health. Loaded with benefi- cial vitamins and micronutrients, it's no wonder that eating carrots is associated with strong eyesight. Nutrient deficiency is a serious prob-
lem in developing countries where malnu- trition is more common and can be a precursor to disease. While malnutrition is less frequent in first-world nations, bariat- ric surgeries, which are performed to achieve weight loss, or surgeries to remove diseased sections of the bowel can create malabsorption syndrome, the body's failure to absorb nutrients from food. A 2013 study published in the Journal of Optometry examined the case of a 55-year-old woman who presented to doc- tors with a two-year period of progressive night blindness. Initial treatment with oral
vitamin A supplementation was ineffective, suggesting that the deficiency was related to malabsorption rather than dietary insuf- ficiency. The patient had a medical history of Crohn's disease and had undergone three previous bowel resections, which subse- quently led to the malabsorptive state as- sociated with short bowel syndrome. Injec- tions of vitamin A once per month over an 18-month period led to significant im- provements in the patient's night vision, including remission of symptoms and vi- sion tests that returned to normal ranges. Carrots are also a good source of the carotenoids beta carotene, lutein and zea- xanthin, a class of antioxidant micronutri- ents that are believed to protect against macular degeneration and cataracts. A 2008 study examined the relation- ship between dietary intake of carotenoids and the risk of cataract in women and found that higher dietary intakes of lutein and zeaxanthin are associated with sig- nificantly decreased risk of cataract. Green leafy vegetables and egg yolks are also good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study,
sponsored by the U.S. government's Na- tional Eye Institute, found that vitamin supplementation that included beta caro- tene at levels well above the Recom- mended Dietary Allowance (RDA) reduced the risk of developing advanced macular degeneration by a whopping 25%.
4. Coconut Oil The
GreenMedInfo.com research da-
tabase has 80 scientific abstracts on coco- nut oil's many healthiful properties. De- spite all the favorable press in recent years, you may not know that one of coconut oil's benefits to health is retina protection. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in the U.S., affecting
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more than 10 million Americans, which is more than cataracts and glaucoma com- bined. Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is diagnosed when an eye doctor detects drusen, yellow plaque-like depos- its, under the surface of the retina. Over time, these deposits can blur the central field of vision and, if left untreated, vision loss can become severe and debilitating. One of the prime risk factors for de-
veloping AMD is exposure to ultraviolet light. A 1966 study found that rats who were fed a diet of coconut oil and exposed to bright light had significantly better reti- nal morphologies than rats in control groups, something researchers attributed to reduced caspase-3 activity.
Caspase-3 is a family of protease en-
zymes that plays an essential role in inflam- mation and apoptosis, or programmed cellular death. Benefits to the retina in- creased when the dosage of coconut oil was doubled, suggesting that coconut oil was the significant factor behind these potent eye health benefits.
5. Oily Fish Many fish are rich sources of omega-3
fatty acids. Oily fish are fish that have oil in their gut and body tissue, so eating them offers higher levels of omega-3-rich fish oil. The fish that contain the most beneficial levels of omega-3s include:
Tuna
Salmon Trout Mackerel
Sardines Anchovies Herring
Some studies have found that fish oil
can reverse dry eye, including dry eye caused by spending too much time on a computer. Your retinas need two types of ome- ga-3 fatty acids to work right: DHA and EPA. You can find both in fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna and trout, as well as other seafood. Omega-3s also seem to protect your eyes from AMD and glaucoma. Low levels of these fatty acids have been linked to dry eyes. Be sure to choose fish sourced from non-polluted waters.
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