The brain and eyes are intimately connected, and the nutrients essential for eye health are the same as for brain health. A retinal scan can detect the early onset of Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis before symptoms appear.
Numerous studies have shown that dietary factors help prevent brain and eye disease. They have a critical effect on neuronal function and synaptic plasticity. Recent findings have shed light on key processes through which nutrition influences brain health and cognitive performance. Alongside lifestyle factors like physical activity, what we eat has played a significant part in the development of our mental abilities and the evolution of the human brain. Continue reading “Brain Health and Nutrition”
This month, we’re focusing on understanding macular degeneration and the importance of early detection. We will explore natural approaches to manage this eye disease and support healthy vision.
Not all foods play well together. Meat and Potatoes. Surf and Turf. Chicken with Rice. Sounds yummy, right? However, proponents of food-combining diets would not combine protein with carbs, and or mix different types of proteins. Food combining advocates believe that eating certain types of food in the same meal can lead to disease, toxin buildup, and digestive issues. They also believe that proper combinations can help relieve these problems.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are two important nutrients found in various parts of the body, including the retina and eye lenses. Acting as powerful antioxidants, they are like an internal pair of sunglasses, filtering out harmful UVA/UVB and blue light. Additionally, they aid in reducing night glare, enhancing visual sharpness, and improving color contrast.
Age-related macular degeneration is an eye disease you do not want to get! One of the treatments is injections directly into the eye on a regular basis. The consequences can be devastating. The loss of central can steal your driving independence and your ability to recognize faces, watch TV, read, do crafts and hobbies, and cook. Research studies on carotenoids and essential fatty acids such as omega-3 fatty acids show hope for preventing and supporting Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD or AMD). 
We have written extensively about how excess exposure to blue light can, over time, negatively affect vision. Not only does it affect our vision and ability to fall asleep, but it can also harm skin health, and neural pathways in the brain are affected in various ways. 
Did you know that there are three nutrients that are fundamental to visual health? Why are they so important?
These powerhouses provide a great starting point for your vision nutrition. Lutein and zeaxanthin (along with mesozeaxanthin) are carotenoids, a class of mostly yellow, orange, or red fat-soluble pigments, including carotenes, which give color to plant parts such as ripe tomatoes.
Mesozeaxanthin, less well-known than lutein and zeaxanthin, is the most powerful antioxidant of the threesome, but the combined trio presents the most potent protection for the eye than any of the three carotenoids alone.[1. Li B, Ahmed F, Bernstein PS. (2010-12-01). Studies on the singlet oxygen scavenging mechanism of human macular pigment. Arc Biochem Biophys. 504(1):56–60.] Out of all of the roughly 7000 carotenoids known in nature, it is these three that are found in great concentrations in the macula, the key part of the retina, responsible for central vision. 
Eye vitamins are crucial to vision health. In fact, the eye is the most vitamin-hungry organ in the body proportional to its size. It is the second most physiologically active part of our body only second to our brain. We believe the eyes require approximately 25% of the nutrients taken into the body to maintain full health. Any less may eventually result in eye diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts.