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BLOG: How to improve your eyesight naturally – sort of
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I was recently browsing some of my nutrition newsletters and came across this lead story: “How to see without glasses, no matter how bad your vision is.” Now, how could I pass that one up? I got all excited that they were going to cover the nutritional approach to seeing well and maintaining ocular health.
The article said that antioxidants such as vitamin A, E and C have been proven to reduce the risk of eye diseases.
Proven for all eye diseases?
It continued, saying that lutein and zeaxanthin, in particular, act as “natural sunglasses,” as they are concentrated in the macula, protecting it from UV light and oxidative damage. The article listed kale, spinach, chard, parsley, chicory, collards and other leafy green vegetables as the best food sources of these antioxidants. Pumpkin, squash, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and peas also provide them.
Actually, this is all true. So far, so good.
“Vitamin D can drastically improve your eyesight,” the article stated.
Vitamin D all by itself?
Vitamin D deficiency leads to vision problems, the article said, referring to studies on laboratory mice indicating that “6 weeks of vitamin D supplementation led to reduced inflammation of the retina and drastically improved vision.”
According to the researchers, the study has “limited relevance to humans” because it did not specifically look at a mouse model of age-related macular degeneration.
The article said that people need to consume foods that are rich in fat-soluble vitamins such as organ meats in addition to getting vitamin D from the sun. “This might shock you, but wearing sunglasses can prevent you from getting proper sunlight, which affects different processes in the body,” it said.
Well, getting vitamin D via sunshine is a great idea, but getting it through your eyes is not the right way!
The article provided no reference for its statement saying that omega-3 fatty acids help protect against optic nerve disorders such as glaucoma.
“Did you know that Eskimos have a much lower rate of glaucoma than any other people because of their high intake of omega-3 fatty acids?” the article stated. “After all, they eat a lot of fish.”
They also live in colder temperatures, have different levels of body fat, etc. No mention of diet was in these 1987 studies.
“Omega-3 is a tricky one: It’s called essential fatty acid because your body cannot produce it on its own; it has to be acquired through food,” according to the article. “By the way, this is one of the reasons to breastfeed, because omega-3 fatty acids are found in breast milk.”
Among other reasons – breast milk also has lutein in it.
The article noted that the best food sources of omega-3 are salmon, sardines, herring and tuna.
“Glasses and contact lenses will worsen your eyesight over time,” the article continued.
Yeah, it’s the glasses and contacts … for sure!
The article said “your doctor has never probably told you” that, and “they are in the money-making business, too.”
(Those greedy money-grubbers!)
“But you can address the problem yourself,” the article continued, “because it starts with food.”
Well, food is a start!
This article is a classic example of why it’s important to be very critical when it comes to claims of “cures” for eye problems using nutrition.
Reference:
DNA. How to see without glasses, no matter how bad your vision is. Available at: Living Traditionally. Posted Oct. 26, 2014. Accessed Dec. 30, 2014.