The typical American diet is deficient in a plant carotenoid known as lutein. Clinical studies reveal a direct correlation between low lutein levels and the onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The practical conclusion: eat more spinach. Primary Care Optometry News reported these conclusions in its June 1, 2007 issue.

 Dr. Stuart P. Richer, chief of optometry at the Department of Veterans Affairs North Chicago, says he asks three questions of patients who are at risk for AMD: How much dark green leafy vegetables are in your diet? How much oily fish is in your diet? How colorful is your diet in terms of fruits and vegetables? “I believe every optometrist should ask his or her patients these three questions,” Richer says.

 Richer recommends a cup of spinach—some fresh, some cooked—every other day, eaten with a meal that includes fat to aid in absorption of the lutein. He also recommends a serving of oily fish—salmon, tuna, sardines, or herring—three times a week, or 1,000 mg of a fish oil supplement per day. Oily fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids.

 Eighty percent of Richer’s male patients improved their night vision by increasing their dietary intake of lutein and omega-3. “It is amazing how many people are deficient in those two categories,” Richer says.

 Other factors in a healthy lifestyle play a part in eye health as well, according to Dr. Bruce E. Onofrey, director of primary eye care services at Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “My emphasis is on lifestyle and nutrition,” Onofrey says.
The 55-year-old baby boomer who cares about his vision must take seriously the fact that smoking, cholesterol level, blood pressure, weight and exercise are all directly related to eye health, according to Dr. Onofrey. 

 For more information, visit: http://www.lowvision.com/diet-supplements-effective-for-ocular-conditions-areds-amd/