Encouraging Health

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:

Figure out if changes in your vision are normal.
See if it’s time for a checkup.
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.

Browse Encouraging Health.