Four food groups recommended for healthy eyes. Carrots? | al.com

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Eat your carrots, mom always said, and you can see better. In the dark even.

Really? Well, maybe.

Nutrition experts at UAB say there are a number of nutrients that can help keep your eyes healthy, and carrots, because of beta-carotene, are just a small part of good eye-health.

Research shows that antioxidants and zinc in a supplement tablet may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of blindness in older adults, said Cynthia Owsley,? professor and vice chair for clinical research in the UAB Department of Ophthalmology.

?"These dietary supplements are not a cure for AMD, but they do reduce one's risk of progressing to the most serious form of the disease," said Owsley, citing research from the National Eye Institute.

UAB School of Optometry Professor Leo Semes serves on the American Optometric Association Health and Nutrition Committee, which has a list of food groups to keep your eyes healthy.

1) Fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C helps minimize cataracts and AMD.

2) Fleshy fish such as tuna or salmon and lean meats. Fatty acids protect against AMD.

3) Red meats and whole grains. Sufficient zinc helps prevent cataracts.

4) Vegetable oil. Vitamin E can slow AMD's progression.

But what about reversing such common vision problems as near- or far-sightedness or astigmatism. Research has yet to find the food or nutrient for that, Semes said.

That's where eyeglasses and contacts come in. "See your optometrist," Semes said.

Well then, what about those carrots that mom always touted?

Beta-carotene is good but not protective enough, Semes said. But there is a tangental relationship that a lack of vitamin A, a cousin of beta-carotene, is implicated in poor darkness adaptation, he said.

However, if you are a smoker, taking in too much beta-carotene through supplements increases lung cancer risk, Semes said.

So what then would be an ideal eye-healthy meal, Semes was asked.

"Fish with an egg on top and lots of kale."

Source: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/03/four_food_groups_recommended_f.html

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