Eat Better Foods to Keep Eyes Healthy

March is Save Your Vision Month, sponsored by the American Optometric Association, or AOA. This year's theme is to pay more attention to nutrition to care for your eyes.

The AOA recommends increasing nutrients for healthy eyes, especially for people coping with vision loss or other eye problems.

Cataracts and age-related macular degeneration are the two leading causes of vision loss and blindness. One out of four Americans age 40 and older suffer from some level of vision loss. Patient clinical trials by the National Institutes of Health found age-related macular degeneration to be a nutrition responsive disorder. Multivitamins typically deliver nutrients below the recommended level for eye health.

Having a daily intake of certain nutrients has been linked to healthy eyes and may reduce the risk of some chronic eye conditions. Intake can be either through foods or supplements. Consult your eye health professional or physician before making changes in your diet or supplementation.

Eat foods rich in the following nutrients to help protect your eye sight and vision.

Lutein is found in colorful produce such as green beans, spinach, broccoli, oranges and corn.

Essential fatty acids are found in tuna, salmon, whole grains, lean meats and eggs.

Vitamin C is found in papaya, oranges, green peppers, and tomatoes.

Vitamin E is found in nuts & seeds like almonds, pecans, peanut butter and sunflower seeds, also sweet potatoes.

Zinc is found in whole grains, baked beans, poultry, shellfish, milk and red meat.
Renee Veksler is a Guam Memorial Hospital health educator and community partner with the Get Healthy Guam Coalition. Contact her at 647-2351.