Protect Your Eyes from the Outside Too

Image via WikipediaThere are a variety of ways you might be hurting your eyes without even realizing it. PARADE Magazine has just come out with a good article that names some of the factors you're probably not aware of that really do affect your eyesight. Since many people only pay attention to their vision care every year or two, they might find this article a revelation.

For instance, did you know that the dry air on airplanes can hurt your eyes? And that many injuries to the eyes that happen during sports and often lead to blindness could be prevented by wearing the right eyewear?

This blog has focused a lot on how you can use all natural remedies to care for your eyes and I hope you have learned something by reading it. Now it's in your best interest to take a few minutes to learn how to protect your eyes from the outside in.

Read the PARADE article

Vision Care: Vitamin A for Your Eyes

Image via WikipediaDocumentation of vitamin A's benefits to the eyes goes back a long way. Ancient Egyptians ate liver to improve their vision, especially at night. Now we know that liver is one of the richest sources of vitamin A, which is essential for eye health.

Vitamin A is important for bone growth and helps maintain a healthy immune system. It preserves the integrity of the skin and mucous membranes, and is vital for a healthy reproductive system and cell division. Vitamin A is probably best known, though, for its role in eye health. Vitamin A in the diet has been linked to preventing cataracts, and may help prevent macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the world.

Vitamin A deficiency may cause visual fatigue, dry eyes and sensitivity to light. Without sufficient vitamin A, your eyes recover very slowly when exposed to flashes of bright light at night and you may have difficulty seeing in dim light. Unless the vitamin A deficiency is corrected, your cornea can become damaged.

Fortunately, it’s easy to meet your daily vitamin A requirement. Cod liver oil, beef or chicken liver, whole milk and whole eggs all are excellent sources; as are carrots, pumpkin, mango, sweet potatoes, papaya and melon. Eating fresh foods is best, because heating, cooking or canning destroys vitamin A. If you don't want to eat foods that are rich in vitamin A in their raw forms, you can take a nutritional supplement. Because vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin (that is, the body can absorb it only with the help of fat in the diet), it’s best to take vitamin A after a meal.

Some people are particularly at risk of vitamin A deficiency, such as those with cystic fibrosis or pancreatic disorders, or if you’ve had stomach surgery or damage to the intestinal lining after diarrhea. These all cause your ability to absorb vitamin A to be adversely affected.

Vegetarians who do not consume eggs or dairy foods usually have a greater need for vitamin A supplementation, as do people who smoke or drink alcohol -- tobacco use prevents your body from absorbing vitamin A, and drinking alcoholic beverages depletes the vitamin A already stored in your body.

Remember, however, that “more” is not always “better.” To be safe, follow the NIH Institute of Medicine Daily Tolerable Upper Levels for intake of vitamin supplements to help prevent the risk of toxicity:

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for vitamin A

Age (years)	Children (mcg RAE)	Males (mcg RAE)	Females (mcg RAE)	Pregnancy (mcg RAE)	Lactation (mcg RAE)
1-3	300 (1,000 IU)
4-8	400 (1,320 IU)
9-13	600 (2,000 IU)
14-18		900 (3,000 IU)	700 (2,310 IU)	750 (2,500 IU)	1,200 (4,000 IU)
19+		900 (3,000 IU)	700 (2,310 IU)	770 (2,565 IU)	1,300 (4,300 IU)

Excerpt from the NIH Vitamin A and Carotenoids Fact Sheet:
RDAs for vitamin A are listed as micrograms (mcg) of Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE) to account for the different biological activities of retinol and provitamin A carotenoids. This table also lists RDAs for vitamin A in International Units (IU), which are used on food and supplement labels (1 RAE = 3.3 IU)

NOTE: The information in this article about vitamin A is not meant to take the place of professional medical advice. Check with your doctor before making decisions on any vision care supplement.

Vision Care: How to Keep Your Eyes Healthy for Life

Image via WikipediResearch has indicated that people who have ample antioxidants in their blood have reduced risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts. What are antioxidants? They're found in fruits and vegetables and they "mop up" unstable oxygen molecules in your blood known as free radicals, which prevents cellular damage. They're good for your general health, but one group of antioxidants in particular -- carotenoids -- is especially good for your eyes. In fact, some people have even use the term "eye vitamins" for these beneficial nutrients.

The best sources of carotenoids are brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and carrots are especially high in the carotenoid called beta-carotene. Beta-carotene can be converted into vitamin A, which helps you have healthy night vision. If you lack vitamin A, it takes much longer for your eyes to adjust to a change in light.

Recent research suggests that the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are found in dark green, leafy vegetables, are even more powerful than beta-carotene for eye health because they are the only carotenoids that concentrate specifically in the eye tissues. Spinach, kale, broccoli, Swiss chard and collard greens contain such high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin that adding these vegetables to your diet can reduce the risk of developing cataracts by up to 23 percent, and cut the risk of developing macular degeneration in half.

Cranberries are also an excellent source of another type of powerful antioxidant, bioflavonoids, which help protect the lens of the eye as well as strengthen the collagen-rich structures of the eye, such as the cornea and capillaries. Bioflavonoids are also found in blueberries, grapes (all but the green variety), citrus fruits and bilberries. Although bilberries may not be on your typical shopping list, they have an exceptionally high bioflavonoid content. In fact, during World War II, British fighter pilots ate bilberries before going on nightly bombing raids because their night vision improved as a result. That's why bilberry is often found in supplements for eye health.

Some of the nutrients in cold water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and cod, can also be of benefit to your eyes. They're rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help lower eye pressure and promote circulation of blood to the eye. Fish also contains taurine, which helps regenerate retinal tissues, and helps protect the eyes from ultraviolet radiation.

Of course, nothing replaces a well-balanced diet, but you might want to consider taking supplements to help ensure you’re giving your eyes all the nutrition they need. Supplements that contain lutein and zeaxanthin are readily available; just be sure to choose a one that contains an effective level of lutein (about 3-6mg per day). And antioxidant vitamins such as C an E, as well as alpha lipoic acid, may be especially useful for protecting delicate eye structures from damage and promoting the repair process. A major antioxidant enzyme, glutathione, may be effective in preventing cataract formation, and is helpful in possibly altering free radical damage.

Just remember: Eating right and taking supplements won’t help much if you compromise your eye health by spending too much time in the sun or smoking. It's commonly known that sun bathers and smokers have to worry about preventative skin care, especially if they haven't been able to find cheap health insurance that would ensure rapid and responsive care for skin issues as soon as they arise. But did you know they also have an increased risk of developing cataracts and impaired vision? That doesn't have to be a problem for you though. Studies show that stopping smoking and limiting sun exposure can have significant benefits at any age.

You might also be interested in this other vision care article: Bilberry for Your Eyes

NOTE: The information in this article is not meant to take the place of professional medical advice. Check with your doctor before making decisions on any vision care supplement.