In the article, we discussed several essential nutrients for the eye and overall health. This follow-up article focuses on several additional important nutrients: astaxanthin, PUFA’s (polyunsaturated fatty acids), and trehalose.
Vision Self-Empowerment in a New Age
What Harms Eyesight?
Our eyes are constantly exposed to the external environment with frequent excess exposure to UVA/UVB light. Natural exposure to the sun is exacerbated by blue light exposure from mobile phones, E-readers, handheld gaming electronics, TV, computer monitors, and fluorescent and LED lighting.
In addition to blue/UV light, our long hours on computers and mobile phones cause stress on our visual system. Physical and visual fatigue reduces the free flow of energy and circulation to the eyes, often accompanied by muscle tension in the neck, shoulders, and lower back.
The combination of the above and the effects of a poor diet, lack of essential nutrients, chronic stress, and health conditions such as chronic inflammatory conditions can result in progressive and sometimes irreversible vision loss. Sight loss may include pathologies such as cataracts, ocular atrophy, corneal opacity, age-related macular degeneration, uncorrected refractive error, posterior capsular opacification, uveitis, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, undetermined disease, and other disorders involving oxidative stress and inflammation. Continue reading “Vision Self-Empowerment in a New Age”
Add Nutritional Sun Protection to Your Summer
Protection Against Sun Exposure
Summertime is here, and it is great to be outdoors enjoying the wonderful weather. Some daily exposure to sunlight helps build up Vitamin D in the body and is good for eye health, but excessive exposure can lead to skin damage, skin cancer, and even promote eye disease which may include macular degeneration, other retinal disorders, and cataracts. Ongoing exposure to blue light increases the risk of neovascular (wet) macular degeneration, particularly associated with low levels of antioxidants, and especially low levels of vitamin C and zeaxanthin.[1. Fletcher, A.E., Bentham, G.C., Agnew, M., Young, I.S., Augood, C., et al. (2008). Sunlight exposure, antioxidants, and age-related macular degeneration. Arch Ophthalmol, Oct;126(10):1396-403.] Another study suggested that extended exposure to sunlight outdoors may be associated with age-related maculopathy.[2. Cruickshanks, K.J., Klein, R., Klein, B.E. (1993). Sunlight and age-related macular degeneration. The Beaver Dam Eye Study. Arch Ophthalmol. 111(4):514-518.] Continue reading “Add Nutritional Sun Protection to Your Summer”
Summer Chickpea-Cilantro-Sesame Burgers
Here’s a summer bonus! Vege-burgers with a twist. Easy to make, just put it all in your food processor.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 c cooked chickpeas (garbanzos) – that’s a 15oz can
- 1/3 c red onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove or 3 small, chopped
- 1 t cumin, coarsely ground
- 3/4 t salt
- 1 t turmeric
- 1 t sumac
- 2 T ground sesame seed (grind in your spice grinder)
- 1/2 c cilantro, chopped (including all but toughest stems)
- juice and zest of one large lemon
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 T orange juice (optional)
- 1/4 c breadcrumbs
Here’s the process Continue reading “Summer Chickpea-Cilantro-Sesame Burgers”
What are Micronutrients?
About Micronutrients
Vitamins, minerals, and other special nutrients are known as micronutrients because we only need tiny amounts of each one. However, micronutrients are essential for well-being, healthy development, and disease prevention. The human body needs nearly 30 micronutrients, but it can only produce one: vitamin D. The other micronutrients come only from food. A balanced diet, rich in fresh vegetables and fruits, provides what we need. However, getting the micronutrients from our diet is difficult if we have poor absorption or fill up on empty calories. Supplementation may be necessary to ensure we get all that we need. Continue reading “What are Micronutrients?”
All About Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The standard Western diet, with many processed foods, white grains, fats, sugars, preservatives, and flavorings lacks essential nutrients to support the retina. These non-beneficial components aggravate inflammation in the body – an underlying, and sometimes a direct cause of illness, premature aging, and cellular degeneration.
Essential nutrients include a wide range of amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and vitamin-like nutrients. Among them, a star component of good health and good vision, are the omega-3 fatty acids.
Nutrition for Diabetic Retinopathy
Did you know that proper nutrition and exercise can help prevent diabetic retinopathy?[1. Bryl A, Mrugacz M, Falkowski M, Zorena K. (2022). The Effect of Diet and Lifestyle on the Course of Diabetic Retinopathy-A Review of the Literature. Nutrients. Mar 16;14(6):1252.] Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a potentially blinding complication of diabetes that damages the eye’s retina; it is a leading cause of vision loss in the world. About 10% of Americans have diabetes. One in three people with diabetes has symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. Of these, a further one-third have vision-threatening DR, including diabetic macular edema. And yet, the condition can potentially be preventable. Continue reading “Nutrition for Diabetic Retinopathy”
Protect Your Eyes During Allergy Season
Allergy season is once again upon us, causing many people a great deal of discomfort, including eye irritation and redness. According to conservative estimates, more than one in five Americans has allergies, and the number rises every year.
And to compound the problem, researchers have noted that due to climate change, allergy season will be longer in the upper latitude of North America. Continue reading “Protect Your Eyes During Allergy Season”
Why is the Vagus Nerve Important?
Gut-Brain Access
“Mind-body connection”? It is the link between our emotional/mental and physical selves. The link becomes evident as you learn about gut-brain access and the function of the vagus nerve.
Through two-way communication with the brain via the nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system, the gut and central nervous system form a gut-brain axis. They communicate with each other constantly, in both sickness and health.[1. Grenham S, Clarke G, Cryan JF, Dinan TG. (2011). Brain-gut-microbe communication in health and disease. Front Physiol. 2011; 2():94.] The gastrointestinal tract has its own nervous system that includes neurotransmitters, neurons, and electrical signals. Called the enteric nervous system, it is often referred to as the second brain. Researchers have concluded that mechanisms that degenerate the neurons in the brain also degenerate neurons in the enteric nervous system.[2. Wade PR, Cowen T. Neurodegeneration: a key factor in the ageing gut. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2004 Apr;16 Suppl 1:19-23.] For example, exercise stimulates gut motility. If the vagus nerve is impaired, as in animal models, the gut has limited motility and nutrient absorption is hindered.[3. Wang Y, Kondo T, Suzukamo Y, Oouchidaa Y, Izumi S. (2010). Vagal nerve regulation is essential for the increase in gastric motility in response to mild exercise. Tohoku J Exp Med. 222(2):155-62.] Continue reading “Why is the Vagus Nerve Important?”
Retina Scans Identify Early Onset Disease
A growing body of evidence continues to show that the microvasculature in the retina may be a reliable indicator of the overall health of the body’s circulatory system and brain. Changes in the eye accompany aging and also reflect other health conditions and various age-related diseases include: age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, AIDS, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
The optic nerve is brain tissue, so there is a strong correlation between changes in the brain and signs in the optic nerve and retina. The optic nerve and retina are created from brain tissue in the womb. The retina contains some of the smallest capillaries in the body, so they are sensitive to health changes in the body.[1. Ahadi S, Wilson KA Jr, Babenko B, McLean CY, Bryant D, et al. (2023). Longitudinal fundus imaging and its genome-wide association analysis provide evidence for a human retinal aging clock. Elife. Mar 28;12:e82364. ] Continue reading “Retina Scans Identify Early Onset Disease”