Summer BanksIs sugar bad for your eyes?
June 3rd 2008 10:51
Is Sugar Bad for Your Eyes?
Looks like there may be yet another reason to kick sugar and white flour out of your diet: eye health.
Cutting back on processed carbs could lower your risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in people 60 and older.
The Carb Connection
What makes refined carbs so bad for your peepers? Seems their high glycemic index may be partly to blame. High-glycemic-index foods boost a whole bunch of bad things linked to AMD -- like increases in oxidative stress, inflammation, and blood-fat levels.
See the Future
Along with replacing the "bad" carbs in your diet with high-fiber whole grains, try these other sight-saving steps:
* Make sure your diet includes these four super eye nutrients.
Four Friends of Eye Health
Rely on four special nutrients to help reduce your risk of a common eye problem by up to 35 percent.
Diets that contain ample amounts of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, and zinc are associated with a greatly reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration, an eye disease that is common with aging and can lead to blindness. Good sources of these nutrients: fresh produce, nuts, fortified cereals, and supplements.
Diet plays a role in many disease processes, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 55. In a recent study of people in this age group, those who reported the highest intake of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, and zinc were significantly less likely to develop AMD than those who had the lowest intake. Fill up on oranges, mangoes, and strawberries for vitamin C. Turkey, chicken, and fortified cereal are great sources for zinc. Almonds and peanut butter, or a supplement, can help boost your intake of vitamin E. Sweet potatoes, apricots, and peaches are excellent sources of beta carotene. Other nutrients that appear to be beneficial for eye health include lutein and zeaxanthin. Like beta carotene, they are carotenoids found in various kinds of fruits and vegetables. Good sources of lutein include spinach, peas, and green bell peppers. Good sources of zeaxanthin include corn, spinach, orange bell peppers, and tangerines.
* Figure out if changes in your vision are normal.
The Aging Eye — See into Your Future
Learn what's normal for aging eyes, what may be a sign of disease, and how to compensate for changes.
Even a slight deterioration of any of your senses can be scary. Not only can it interfere with your safety and your ability to understand
your surroundings, but also it can have a huge impact on your overall comfort and independence.
Still, as you age, some decline in your senses is expected. Often, one of the first senses that aging affects is eyesight.
But you can minimize the impact of age-related vision loss on daily life, boost eye health in general, and reduce disease risk by monitoring vision changes, identifying problems, creating an eye-friendly environment, and adjusting your lifestyle habits and dietary choices.
How is your vision?
Your first step in protecting your eyes is to distinguish between vision changes that are due to normal aging processes and vision changes
Common Age-Related Vision Complaints:
• "I can't see as clearly as I used to."
• "I have difficulty seeing objects close up."
• "Colors don't seem as vivid."
• "It's getting more difficult to see in the dark."
• "I'm less able to adapt to glare."
• "I need more light to see."
that may be signs of disease. Only a doctor can diagnose eye disease, so if you haven't been keeping a regular schedule of checkups, consider making an appointment today.
Normal age-related vision changes
Not all declines in vision quality are the result of disease; certain anatomical changes naturally occur as the eyes age.
The various internal and external structures of the eyes, which all work together to help people see clearly at various distances and under different lighting conditions, begin to wear down as people get older.
The most significant age-related changes seem to occur in the lens and pupil; these account for the majority of vision limitations people experience as they get older. The extent to which these changes affect vision varies a bit with each person. But regardless of the degree to which these changes affect you, you can compensate for them and help ensure they don't endanger your safety or make it difficult for you to enjoy life.
Age-Related Eye Change #1
The pupil becomes smaller and less responsive to variations in light.
Impact: Because the pupil controls the amount of light that reaches the retina, age-related changes to the pupil may affect vision in many ways. First, as the pupil decreases in diameter, seeing well in dim light becomes harder. In addition, the less able the pupil is to adjust to varying light conditions, the less tolerable glare becomes and the more difficult it is to adapt from darkness to bright light or vice versa. This means as you get older, you may need more time
to adjust to changing levels of illumination, such as going from bright sunshine into a dimly lit room or restaurant.
Compensation: Proper illumination can compensate for many of the changes in your pupil as you age. Try these illumination techniques:
* Increase the amount of ambient light throughout the home.
* Use individual lights—or task lighting—for specific tasks. Studies show that for specific tasks the average 60-year-old person needs at least three times the amount of light compared to the average 20-year-old.
* Use timed lighting that switches on and off at set times of the day to ensure consistent ambient lighting.
* Install motion-sensor lights in your home that turn on automatically when you enter a room.
* Avoid bare bulbs, clear shades, and chandeliers without shades; these produce glare that can be disorienting and uncomfortable.
* Cover shiny, highly polished surfaces in the home or work areas with cloth or rugs to reduce glare.
* See if it's time for a checkup. .
Check out these five ways to cut down on dry eyes.
Parched Peepers?
5 ways to fight dry, irritated eyes
Do you suffer from itchy, burning, or scratchy eyes? As you age, normal tear fluid production tends to decrease, which can lead to dry eyes.
You don't have to let dry, irritated eyes interfere with your vision
and drive you crazy. Paying attention to simple things, such as what you eat, the medications you take, and the environment that you are in, may help you discover how you can eliminate the irritation altogether.
More than a nuisance?
If dry eye symptoms do not improve with self-care methods, see your doctor to rule out underlying medical conditions that also can cause dry eyes, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Sjogren's syndrome, or dry eye syndrome.
Is your tear function interrupted?
Even though you're not crying all the time, your eyes need to continuously produce tears to protect them and help keep them comfortable. Any decrease in normal tear production, or any interruption in the distribution of your tears, can lead to dry eyes.
Tear production may decrease as a natural part of aging, and is particularly common among post-menopausal women. Or it could be due to other reasons, such as allergies, dry weather, cosmetics, or contact lenses. Eyes also can feel dry when tears are not distributed well, such as when you stare at a computer screen for long hours without blinking frequently enough.
The result is eyes that burn, sting, or feel scratchy, tired, or strained. Whatever the cause of your dry eyes, there are self-care methods you can try to help your peepers feel comfortable and keep your vision clear.
What can you do about dry eyes?
To give tired, scratchy eyes soothing relief, try these preventive steps:
1. Make your world more humid. If your dry eyes are due to dry air, running a portable humidifier in your home may alleviate symptoms by adding moisture to dry indoor environments, especially during the winter. Or, wearing a wet gauze eye mask while sleeping can keep eyes moist and prevent tear evaporation.
2. Eat more eye-friendly foods. Although it's rare in developed countries, dry eyes can be caused by a lack of vitamin A. Either way,
TIP: If possible, try to use lubricant eye drops before you engage in activities that are visually demanding, such as staring at a computer screen, driving, and reading.
ensuring that you get the optimal amount of vitamin A can boost your overall eye health. Vitamin A-rich foods include carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, pumpkin, and mango. Other nutrients that may be good for your eyes include lutein and zeaxanthin.
3. Take note of medication side effects. Certain prescription and over-the-counter medications, such as antihistamines, diuretics, sleeping pills, beta-blockers, and pain relievers, can reduce your body's ability to create lubricating tears. If you experience dry eyes as a medication side effect, ask your healthcare provider and/or ophthalmologist about alternatives, or find out if you are a candidate for lubricant eye drops that you can use while taking your
medication.
4. Wear sunglasses. Protecting your eyes when you are outdoors on bright or windy days not only shields your eyes from harsh UV light, but also will help keep eyes moist by preventing tear evaporation. Wrap-around sunglasses may help minimize the wind's drying effect.
5. Rest your eyes often. If you spend several hours in front of the computer, give your eyes a break now and then. Look away from the screen and focus your attention on an object that is more than 8 feet away and concentrate on it for about 5 seconds. Repeat this exercise a few times every hour. Also, blinking frequently can help distribute lubricating tears evenly throughout your eyes.
Brought to you by Real Age - available on the net.
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Comment by wilson-pon
Still, taking too much of sugars will surely harm our health.
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