Feast Your Eyes on This!

Excerpts from the Eye Care Blog:

Chefs including host of the Food Network's Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller and author of "Robin Rescues Dinner" have submitted delicious recipes that everyone will love and that are good for your eyes, in a recent meet organised by EyeCare America.

Checkout whether your food is healthy for your eyes by visiting http://www.eyecareamerica.org/ and downloading the free cookbook.

Approximately 1 million Canadians suffer from Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), a devastating eye disease and a leading cause of vision loss in people 65 years or older in the Canada.

What is Age-related Macular Degeneration?

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a degenerative condition of the It is the most common cause of vision loss in the United States in those 50 or older, and its prevalence increases with age. AMD is caused by hardening of the arteries that nourish the retina. This deprives the sensitive retinal tissue of oxygen and nutrients that it needs to function and thrive.As a result, the central vision deteriorates.

How is Age-related Macular Degeneration caused?

Sometimes the delicate cells of the macula are damaged and stop functioning. The exact cause is not known although it tends to happen as people get older. This is called age-related macular degeneration. The most common types of macular degeneration are the dry [atrophic] and the wet [exudative]. The dry type is caused by aging and thinning of the tissues of the macula. The wet type results from the formation of abnormal blood vessels under the macula which leak fluid or blood and blur the central vision. Children and young people can also suffer from an inherited form of macular degeneration called macular dystrophy, which can sometimes affect several members from the same family.

What are the symptoms of AMD?

Symptoms of macular degeneration:

Blurred or distorted central vision

Colours look dim

Words on a page look blurred

Straight lines appear distorted

Dark or empty areas appear in the center of vision

This makes activities like reading, writing and recognizing small objects or faces very difficult.
Although there is no cure for AMD, recent studies show that eating foods rich in antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acids, beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc, may reduce the risk of AMD, or slow its progression in some people.

So keeping in mind, the chefs submitted the following list of food items to suit the requirement of eyes.

• Most fruits and vegetables contain Vitamin C, including oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, papaya, green peppers and tomatoes.
• Vitamin E can be found in vegetable oils (safflower and corn oil), almonds, pecans, wheat germ and sunflower seeds.
• For beta-carotene, try deep orange or yellow fruits and vegetables such as cantaloupe, mangos, apricots, peaches, sweet potatoes and carrots.
• Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli, and asparagus are the primary sources of lutein and zeaxanthin.
• Good sources of zinc include beef, pork, lamb, oysters, eggs, shellfish, milk, peanuts, whole grains and wheat germ.
• Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are leafy green vegetables, nuts, fish, and vegetable oils such as canola, soy, and especially flaxseed.