VISION CONDITIONS

Certain conditions respond favourably to dietary intervention. Discover how foods – whether boosting portions or cutting them out – can help protect your eyesight.

CATARACTS

It’s common to find that vision becomes misty and colours more faded as we get older. The lens consists largely of water and protein. When proteins start to clump together, they affect the passage of light through the lens, creating a cloudy area that makes vision less sharp. This clouding over is known as a cataract and affects many of us in old age. Cataracts can start to form in our 50s and enlarge over time so that vision slowly deteriorates. Thankfully cataracts are easily treated with simple surgery. A plant-rich (meat-free) diet is one of the best ways to protect against cataracts.

image EAT PLENTY

Berries, avocados, peppers, leafy greens, shellfish, orange fruits and vegetables, citrus fruits

image LIMIT

Alcohol

GLAUCOMA

When pressure builds up in the fluid inside the eye it can damage the optic nerve, causing glaucoma. Regular eye tests are vital, so an optician can check eye pressure as the condition has few symptoms. When caught early enough, eye drops can help to prevent sight loss from glaucoma. As with other vision-related conditions, regularly eating foods that contain antioxidants can help to protect against further damage.

image EAT PLENTY

Fresh fruit and vegetables

image LIMIT

Salt, processed foods, caffeine

AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION (AMD)

The macula at the centre of the retina is densely packed with specialized light-receptive cells. These cells fire messages via the optic nerve to the brain’s visual cortex, where they are interpreted as images. If the cells are damaged, central vision can become distorted and a partial loss of sight, or macular degeneration, results. It’s most common in the over-60s. Straight lines may appear wavy, it can be hard to focus on faces, and dark areas may appear. AMD can be “dry” or “wet”; though both result in blindness. So, protect your eyesight with proven food solutions, such as leafy greens and zinc-rich foods (see opposite and also here) to lower your risk of AMD.

image EAT PLENTY

Eggs, avocados, leafy greens, oily fish and shellfish, orange fruits and vegetables