By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

April 8, 2020

You know, of all the health problems to have, vision loss is one of the scariest to me. In fact, I’d rather be deaf than lose my ability to read my favorite books.

So when one middle-aged gentlemen came into my office the other day, I needed to be a little blunt about the risks he was taking with his vision.

Now, every physician gets his or her share of patients who would rather not be there for an appointment. This guy was a classic case.

His wife made the appointment because she was worried about his health. With good reason! He was overweight, had high blood pressure and was pre-diabetic.

And he was NOT happy about talking to me.

After a thorough examination, I asked him about what types of foods he normally eats.

He shared with me how much he enjoyed fried foods and deli sandwiches. When I explained how these foods are contributing to his problems and leading down a path of obesity, heart disease and diabetes, he immediately shut me down.

“Relax, Doc,” he said. “I also eat vegetables. Fruit, too. I even drink milk at most of my meals. So that should even things out.” Then he looked up and chuckled. “Besides, we all have to die of something, right? I might as well go out happy.”

Okaaay… time for a change of tactics so I could get through to him…

I told him his favorite foods don’t just contribute to physical ailments and disability. They also play an extremely large role in the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

In another show of bravado, the big guy said, “Well if I’m not of my right mind I wouldn’t know it anyway. Right?”

By then I was very frustrated. That’s when a new question popped into my head.

“Do You WANT to Go Blind?”

Well that got his attention.

He suddenly looked like a fish out of water – or maybe a bobble-head doll. He was gulping and shaking his head at the same time. The color drained from his face.

Finally he burbled out a strangled whisper that sounded like “Whaddaya mean, Doc. I have to be able to see.”

Aha! All of his focus was suddenly on me. And he was shocked to discover that…

People who eat the most processed meat, fried food, refined grains and high-fat dairy products are greater than three times more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration over the next 18 years.

As it turns out, his Mom had AMD. He was the one who took her to the eye doctor every couple of months for eye injections – the only treatment (not cure) for AMD. And watching that needle go into her eyeball visit after visit really freaked him out.

He had no idea her favorite foods – the same ones he likes – contributed to her ailing sight. Suddenly, he was more than willing to hear my recommendations.

Eating for Your Vision… And Your Health

Enjoying a Mediterranean style diet is the perfect way to protect your vision. It is very low in meat, dairy and processed foods – but very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and nuts.

In particular, dark leafy greens like organic kale, turnip greens, collards, spinach and chard all boost your lutein and zeaxanthin levels. These are two extremely important nutrients needed to maintain macular density, protect the macula from harmful UV light and shield your eyes from free radical damage.

There are plenty of ways to get more of these dark, leafy greens into your diet. Put them in your omelets, salads, smoothies, soups, veggie wraps and wherever else you can think of. Serve them as side dishes with dinner, or sauté them up in a stir fry as your main entrée.

Zinc is another nutrient that feeds your eyes. When you’re short on this mineral it makes it harder for your eyes to adjust to the dark. This makes it difficult to see things when you go from a well-lit area into a room that’s much darker – or turning off of a brightly lit highway onto a dark side street.

Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cashews and lentils all contain zinc. Grass fed beef and lamb also contain zinc, but should be eaten in moderation.

Omega-3 fatty acids and taurine are also essential to your eye health. Omega-3 fatty acids protect the nerve cells in the retina by shutting down oxidative stress, inflammation and abnormal blood vessel formation. Taurine protects specialized cells that send the images you see to your brain.

You can get both of these nutrients by eating more wild-caught fish and shellfish. Pastured meat and poultry are also sources of taurine, but should only account for a small portion of your diet.

Even simple ingredients like vitamins A, C and E can make the difference when it comes to preserving your eyesight or losing it. This is where all of those antioxidant rich fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds add an extra punch to protect your vision.

And here’s an extremely wonderful bonus that comes with eating a wide variety of these extremely healthful foods… they also protect against almost every age-related disease you could imagine.

Heart disease, dementia, diabetes, obesity, cancer, fatty liver… and so much more! So remember to start planning your menu to preserve your vision, health and longevity now. You’ll thank me for it later.

SOURCES:

Dighe S, et al. Diet patterns and the incidence of age-related macular degeneration in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Br J Ophthalmol. 2019 Dec 6. [Epub ahead of print]

Tan JS, et al. Dietary antioxidants and the long-term incidence of age-related macular degeneration: the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Ophthalmology. 2008 Feb;115(2):334-41.

Ugarte M, et al. Iron, zinc, and copper in retinal physiology and disease. Surv Ophthalmol. 2013 Nov-Dec;58(6):585-609.

Rasmussen HM, et al. Nutrients for the aging eye. Clin Interv Aging. 2013; 8: 741–748.

Ripps H, et al. Review: Taurine: A “very essential” amino acid. Mol Vis. 2012; 18: 2673–2686.

Froger N, et al. Taurine is a crucial factor to preserve retinal ganglion cell survival. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2013;775:69-83.