Spring 2009: Of Note
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Seeing beyond carrots
By Mary J. Loftus
We all know an assortment of fresh foods will keep our brains young, hearts healthy, skin smooth, and bones strong.
But why is it that the only food we associate with keeping our eyes healthy is a crunchy orange carrot?
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology Sunil Srivastava, of the Emory Eye Center, has been getting the word out that many different foods provide vitamins and nutrients important to safeguard our eyes and vision.
These include:
- eggs, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, and mango (vitamin A helps the eye function, specifically the retina, preventing night blindness)
- raspberries (vitamin C is an antioxidant, which can help reduce the risk of or slow the rate of macular degeneration)
- almonds (vitamin E has been shown to reduce the risk of macular degeneration)
- salmon or fish oil and leafy green vegetables (also help to prevent macular degeneration)
- broccoli and spinach (high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, good for vision).