Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables
also keeps your eyes in good shape. You may have learned that the
vitamin A in carrots aids night vision. Other fruits and vegetables
help prevent two common aging-related eye diseases - cataract and
macular degeneration - which afflict millions of Americans over
age sixty-five. Cataract is the gradual clouding of the eye's lens,
a disk of protein that focuses light on the light-sensitive retina.
Macular degeneration is caused by cumulative damage to the macula,
the center of the retina. It starts as a blurred spot in the center
of what you see. As the degeneration spreads, vision shrinks.
Free radicals generated by sunlight, cigarette
smoke, air pollution, infection, and metabolism cause much of this
damage. Dark green leafy vegetables contain two pigments, lutein
and zeaxanthin, that accumulate in the eye. These two appear to
be able to snuff out free radicals before they can harm the eye's
sensitive tissues.(12)
In general, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables,
and whole grains appears to reduce the chances of developing cataract
or macular degeneration. (13-15) |
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