This may be a delicious new option
if you're trying to improve your eye health as you age.
Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is the most common cause
of vision loss in the elderly. However, according to a recent study published
in the journal Nutrients, the disease can be avoided, which reveals that the
popular superfood goji berries could be an effective preventative tool.
For three months, researchers gave 13 healthy people aged 45 to 65
an ounce of dried goji berries five times a week, while 14 others took a
commercial eye health supplement. Researchers found that only the goji berry group
experienced beneficial changes in the level of protective pigments in their
eyes before and after the study period, whereas the supplement group did not.
According to the study's lead author, Xiang Li, Ph.D.(c), in the
nutritional biology department at the University of California, Davis, the eye
health improvement came most likely from two compounds—lutein and
zeaxanthin—which are rich in the berries and have been recognized to treat eye
illnesses connected to AMD.
She describes these two chemicals as "sunscreen for your
eyes." "The more protection you have, the larger the amount in your
retina is. This is vital for those with early-stage AMD, but it's also
beneficial for those with healthy eyes because it filters out harmful blue light
and protects them with antioxidant."
She adds that one of the advantages of dried goji berries is that
only a tiny amount is required to impact, and the chemicals are also highly
bioavailable. That means, according to Li, they're usually well absorbed in the
digestive system and can be used by the body.
You can't find dried goji berries locally, or you don't like the
taste? According to a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology,
you can receive those same properties from other meals as well.
Egg yolks, corn, orange bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, and
several kinds of squash are excellent sources of lutein and zeaxanthin.
Whatever path you take, Li highlights the importance of focusing on eye health as you age through an adequate diet. AMD can limit your ability to recognize faces and read by affecting your central field of vision. Because there are usually no symptoms in the early stages of the disease, thinking about your eye health now can help safeguard it as you become older.