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Nutrition Plays Important Role in Eye Health
AUBURN, July 25---Special
concern for eye health increases as our population ages. Up to seven
out of eight people in the United States develop cataracts after age
75. However, there is growing evidence that eating
nutritionally-balanced meals can reduce the risks of getting
cataracts, says Dr. Evelyn Crayton, foods and nutrition specialist
with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Vitamin A is critical to
healthy night vision. The major symptom of night blindness is the
inability of the eyes to adjust to dim light. When people don't get
enough vitamin A, it takes much longer for their eyes to adjust to a
change in light intensity.
Crayton says two recent
studies at Harvard Medical School show that people eating spinach,
kale, broccoli, collard greens, winter squash, peppers and other
foods rich in the carotenoid lutein and zeaxanthin cut their risks
of developing cataracts by 19 to 23 percent. More than 110,000
people participated in the studies.
Research also indicates
that other nutrients, such as vitamins C and E, are also important
in maintaining healthy eyesight. High levels of vitamin C are found
in eye tissue.
Crayton advises people,
especially as they age, to eat well-balanced meals, including bread,
rice, cereals, fruits and vegetables, low-fat or nonfat milk and
milk products, and servings of meat, poultry, fish, eggs and beans.
SOURCE: Dr. Evelyn
Crayton, Foods and Nutrition Specialist, Alabama Cooperative
Extension System, (334) 844-2224
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