Nutrition and Eye Health

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Nutrition and Eye Health

• Dr. Betty J. Larson, LRD, FADA
• Concordia College
• Moorhead, MN 56562

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Objectives

• Researchers have suggested that six nutrients are
  correlated with maintaining eye health Vitamins
  C and E, carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and
  beta-carotene and the mineral zinc.
• On-line dietary risk assessment called Eye on
  Nutrition can be accessed at www.aoa.org/EyeOnNutr
  ition

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Cataracts

• A leading cause of blindness worldwide and the
  most costly item on the Medicare budget in the
  US.
• Risk factors include smoking, exposure to
  sunlight, diabetes, and inflammation.

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Cataracts

• Cataracts develop when lens proteins are damaged
  which causes them to become cloudy or opaque.
• Oxidative stress, principally from ultraviolet
  light is thought to play a crucial role in
  development of cataracts.
• Two types nuclear and cortical according to
  their location. Less common is subcapsular

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Age-Related Macular Degeneration

• A leading cause of acquired blindness and vision
  impairment among elderly Americans.
• Prevalence increases dramatically with age
• Occurs as wet or dry
• Dry AMD is characterized by perceptual holes
  or inconsistencies in the center of the visual
  field. This is due to a breakdown of cells and
  membranes in the macula, a tiny area at the
  center of the retina in the back of the eye.
• The macula contains a dense accumulation of cone
  cells which are responsible for providing color
  and fine detail in the center of the visual
  field.

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Macular Degeneration Continued

• When retinal cells are lost, they do not
  regenerate, thus the vision loss from macular
  degeneration is irreversible.
• Only proven way to delay progression of dry AMD
  is vitamin/ mineral intake.

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Risk factors for AMD

• Increased age
• Female gender
• Lighter iris color
• Race
• Smoking
• Sunlight Exposure

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Vitamin C and Cataracts

• Sources of C include citrus fruits, potatoes,
  berries and green veg.
• As an antioxidant, vitamin C is useful in
  protecting the lens against free radical
  reactions triggered by UV light.
• C is water-soluble so penetrates the layers of
  the lens to protect the area.
• Lens has 20x more C than the plasma.

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Vitamin C and Cataracts

• Researchers have found consistent associations
  between higher dietary or plasma vitamin C and a
  reduced risk for cataracts.
• Nurses Health Study
• Beaver Dam Eye Study

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Vitamin E and Cataracts

• Vitamin E is found in the membranes of all cells
  where it protects them from oxidative damage.
• Not concentrated in the eye like C but a higher
  intake can increase the amount of E in the retina.

MARGARINE, OILS, SEEDS, NUTS CONTAIN VITAMIN E
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Vitamin E and Cataracts

• Mixed results from studies on Vitamin E and the
  eye.
• Researchers reported from the Beaver Dam Eye
  Study there was a beneficial correlation between
  blood vitamin E concentration and cataract risk.
• Low blood vitamin E concentration has also been
  associated with an increased risk of cataracts.

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Cataracts and Other Nutrients

• Australian researchers found a reduced risk of
  nuclear cataracts with higher dietary intakes or
  other nutrients.

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Vitamins and AMD

• Concentrations of vitamin E have been found to be
  protective against age-related macular disease in
  some observational studies but not in all
  studies.
• Similarly observational studies have generally
  not led to correlations between vitamin C and AMD
  whether based on plasma concentration or dietary
  intake.

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Clinical Trials and AMD

• In the Age-Related Eye Disease Study by the
  National Eye Institute tested antioxidant on AMD
  and cataracts researchers found antioxidants
  retarded progression of AMD
• Supplement given of C, E, beta-carotene, zinc.

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Carotenoids in Eye Health

• The eye selectively and exclusively concentrates
  the yellow-color carotenoids lutein and
  zeaxanthin in a layer of retinal tissues than
  overlies the macula region.

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Carotenoids in the Retina

• Researchers believe that these two carotenoids
  specifically absorbs near-to-UV blue light, the
  highest-energy and therefore the most damaging
  wavelength of light that actually reaches the
  retina.
• Another theory is that they serve as an
  antioxidant defense against free radicals.

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Macular Pigment Density

• Capacity to increase macular pigment density has
  been demonstrated using spinach as a lutein-rich
  food or corn as a zeaxanthin-rich food.
• Eye Disease Case-Control Study researchers found
  AMD risk was significantly lower with increasing
  serum concentrations of lutein Zeaxanthin.

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Sources of Lutein in mg in 1Cup

• Spinach cooked 13.3
• Raw Cabbage 10.2
• Broccoli cooked 3.4
• Peas cooked 3.2
• Raw Spinach 1.8
• Raw Broccoli 1.4
• Raw Greens 1.1
• Green Pepper .9

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Sources of Zeaxanthin in mg of 1C

• Orange Pepper 1.5
• Corn .8
• Cooked Spinach .4
• Romaine .1
• Raw Spinach .1
• Tangerine .1

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Sources of Lutein Zeaxanthin in mg in 1C

• Kale 26.5
• Spinach cooked 12.6
• Broccoli 4.0
• Spinach raw 3.6
• Green Peas 2.2
• Raw Broccoli 2.1
• Corn 1.5
• Brussels Sprouts 1.1