SET YOUR SIGHT ON ANTIOXIDANTS
It seems as if, with every year that goes by, we have to hold the newspaper a little farther away to read the headlines. Traffic signs get harder to see, and as for reading the menu in a dim restaurant, well, forget it. It’s natural for the eyes to undergo slight changes over time. But for people with cataracts—proteins that accumulate inside the lenses of the eyes—the loss of vision can be profound. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world, and they affect nearly 20.5 million Americans age 40 and older. By age 80, more than half of all Americans have cataracts. Age-related cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in adults 45 years of age and older, and cataract surgery is the most frequent surgical procedure in the United States.
Wearing sunglasses and not smoking may reduce the risk of cataracts, but an even better strategy is to eat more fruits and vegetables, says Allen Taylor, PhD, director of the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. These foods contain a variety of protective compounds that can stop damage to the eyes.
The eyes are constantly being bombarded by free radicals, harmful oxygen molecules that are missing electrons and spend their lives looking for replacements. They grab extra electrons wherever they can, damaging healthy cells every time they strike. One way to help stop this damage is by filling your body with antioxidants, such as beta-carotene and vitamins C and E. Each of these compounds blocks the effects of free radicals, says Dr. Taylor.
Popeye used spinach to build strong muscles, but it works just as well for strengthening the eyes. In fact, studies show that spinach might be one of your best defenses against cataracts. In a study of more than 50,000 nurses, Harvard researchers found that those who got the most carotenoids, which are natural plant pigments such as beta-carotene, in their diets were 39 percent less likely to develop serious cataracts than women who got the least. And when the researchers looked at specific foods that contained carotenoids, spinach appeared to be the most protective.
Spinach (along with kale, broccoli, and other dark green leafy vegetables) contains more than just beta-carotene, however. It also contains two other carotenoids,lutein and zeaxanthin, which concentrate in the fluids of the eyes. This means that you’re getting the most protection right where you need it most. Two studies, the Health Professional’s Follow-Up Study and the Beaver Dam Eye Study, showed that people eating foods with the highest amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin have a lower risk of developing cataracts and needing cataract surgery.
Another study from Harvard University of almost 40,000 women, found that those who ate the most fruits and vegetables (3½ servings each day) had a 10 to 15 percent reduced risk of cataracts, compared with the women who ate the least fruits and vegetables (2½ daily servings or less). Fruits and vegetables are, of course, great sources of antioxidants, including vitamin C, which appears to be a key player in keeping the eyes clear.
Even though the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C is 60 milligrams, Dr. Taylor recommends boosting that amount to 250 milligrams for maximum eye protection. It’s easy to get that much vitamin C in your diet, he adds. A half-cup of broccoli, for example, has about 30 milligrams of vitamin C, and a large glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice has about 90 milligrams.
According to doctors at the American Optometric Association, the cataract-protective carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, plentiful in spinach, are fat-soluble. This means that it’s best to eat spinach cooked with a little fat, such as olive oil, to maximize the absorption of these key nutrients by the body.
Wondering what to have with all that produce? Order the catch of the day. One study found that women who consumed fish containing omega-3 fatty acids at least once a week had a 12 percent lower risk of needing cataract surgery. The fish that offer good amounts of omega-3s include salmon, Spanish mackerel, and tuna.
You wouldn’t think to toast your eyes with a glass of Bessie’s best, but milk, along with chicken and yogurt, provides some of the best eye protection you can find. All of these foods contain large amounts of riboflavin, a B vitamin that appears to help prevent cataracts from forming. In a study of more than 1,000 people, researchers at State University of New York at Stony Brook found that those getting the most riboflavin were much less likely to have cataracts than those getting smaller amounts.
The connection, once again, appears to be antioxidants. The body uses ribofla-vin to manufacture glutathione, a powerful compound that battles free radicals. When you don’t get enough riboflavin, glutathione levels fall, and that gives free radicals more time to damage the eyes.