Help Save Your Eyes

Sara B. — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:00:05 +0000

Did you know that carrots are not the only vegetable that can protect your eyes? Dr. Jennifer Ashton recently discussed some other eye-healthy foods on, “The Early Show.” According to Dr. Ashton, lutein and zeaxanthin are the most beneficial cartenoids for eye health. In fact, there are foods that are good for our eyes and taste delicious, too, that most of us are not even aware of. Below is a list of some of these foods, which promote eye health.

Spinach
Kale
Peas
Zucchini
Broccoli
Other leafy greens
Orange peppers
Corn
Oranges
Honeydew melon
Egg yolks

Why is it so important to protect our eyes, you may ask? Dr. Ashton states it in simple logic:

“The thinking is that our eyes age just like other parts of our body, and things like these substances can really make a big difference in preventing things like macular degeneration and cataracts.”Though lutein and zeaxanthin are linked to eye health, there are still questions as to the best way to get obtain them. Supplements may not be the most effective method, as they may not have the same effect as naturally-occurring nutrients in fruits and vegetables, Dr. Ashton says. Also, at the present time, there are no specific guidelines for how much lutein is needed to prevent cataracts and macular degeneration.

As a rule of thumb, Dr. Ashton advises that, “It’s probably best to eat a lot of colorful fruits and vegetables.”

View The Early Show segment below!

Watch CBS News Videos Online

VSP Blog » orange peppers

Help Save Your Eyes