To augment the important benefit of wearing sunglasses, a health-conscious person can do something else to help protect the eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays: Eat spinach. Better yet: Eat kale.

It turns out that lutein is a powerful antioxidant that acts like “internal sunglasses.” Clinical studies have shown that taking in at least 10 mg of lutein daily is significant in protecting the eyes. The very best sources of lutein? Kale (23.8 mg/cup) and spinach (20.4 mg/cup). Cooking releases lutein from cell walls, so it’s best, for this purpose, to eat your veggies cooked. Adding a little olive oil also helps the body absorb the good stuff. For those who don’t love veggies, it’s just as beneficial to include the greens in soups, stir-fry, or noodle dishes.

Source: The Austin Post-Bulletin (www.postbulletin.com)