Antioxidant Nutrition - Hope for Eye Health
Antioxidants scavenge and destroy harmful reactive oxygen molecules in our bodies. They work hard to support our health and immune systems, particularly in times of stress, pollution, smoking (active or passive) and poor or harmful diet. Antioxidant nutrition is essential for energy, health and youth - which is why it’s considered ‘anti-ageing’.
Some substances appear to have unique antioxidant properties targeted for specific organs. For instance St Mary’s thistle, or milk thistle, and alpha lipoic acid have an affinity with the liver. It’s interesting that Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes a direct correspondence between the eyes and the liver. What antioxidants have special affinity with the eyes? High on the list are Lutein, as we’ve seen, and bilberry.
Vitamin A, C and E are the main antioxidant vitamins. They are nearly always included in any daily multivitamin formula. Lipoic or Alpha-Lipoic Acid also acts powerfully as an antioxidant, and enhances the action of vitamins A, C and E - it appears to be able to replenish or recycle them - and of co-enzyme Q10 and other antioxidants.
Vitamin A is vital for sight because it’s used in the rod and cone cells of the retina. Of course the macula, being the central area of the retina, is full of cone cells, so vitamin A is relevant for macular degeneration.
You can source vitamin A as ‘retinol’ from liver, kidney, eggs and dairy foods. Otherwise it’s metabolised in the body from beta-carotene. One of the carotenoids, beta-carotene is responsible for the red and yellow pigments in fruits and vegetables, though it’s also in veges colored green with chlorophyll. It’s found in carrots, peppers, squash and melon: many of the same foods that contain lutein and zeaxanthin.
More antioxidant nutrition tips tomorrow (January 13) - or click here.
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[...] by ‘free radicals’ is an underlying cause of macular degeneration, so you need vital antioxidants to protect your eyes and health. Low levels of nutrients (antioxidants - especially lutein and [...]
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