Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Age-Related Eye Problems

How to steer clear of age-related eye problems: Get your good cholesterol up, quit smoking and eat a balanced, nutrient-rich diet.

What you put on your plate may help ensure a lifetime of good vision. A study in the Archives of Ophthalmology suggests that eating a healthy diet that’s full of vitamins and minerals may reduce the risk of nuclear cataracts later in life.
Eating plenty of leafy greens, which contain the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, may also help protect your baby blues or browns. Just don’t go overboard: An 88-year-old woman went into a coma after eating three pounds of raw bok choy every day for several months. Not that you would do that… right?
According to another recent study, not smoking and having high levels of HDL (the good cholesterol) may help protect age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease that can cause vision problems and blindness.
You can raise your HDL by quitting smoking, engaging in vigorous exercise and losing excess weight.

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