Healing Innovations NC

Eye Health

The importance of visual health was brought home to me personally last October when I was diagnosed with early, rapid onset cataracts. My mother, brother, and sister all had cataract surgery at an early age, so there was some genetic predisposition. I had the surgery on one eye, and will see what happens with the other. Conventional medicine does have its place and cataract surgery is a shining example of its importance. My sight has been restored completely.

In an effort to avoid further surgery, I began to research preventative approaches to maintaining eye health. Recent research has shown that nutrition has a significant impact on keeping the eye itself healthy. Antioxidants in general and Omega 3 oils are important as well as these four key nutrients that can help you maintain healthy eyesight:

Vitamin A - Even a moderate deficiency in vitamin A intake can cause night blindness, which manifests as a difficulty perceiving details in low light conditions. Fortunately, it is easy to include in your diet. Liver, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, spinach and even butter have high concentrations of Vitamin A.
Vitamin C - Some studies suggest that vitamin C may play a role in screening out damaging UV rays and delaying the development of macular degeneration and glaucoma. The classic source of vitamin C is citrus fruits, but the most concentrated sources are in red pepper, kiwi, acerola and Cacadu plums which have fifty times the amount of an orange.
Vitamin E - Keeping the eye lubricated prevents surface damage that is associated with dry eyes. Having a sufficient amount of vitamin E in the diet is a natural way to keep the eyes lubricated without resorting to eye drops. Whole grains, hazelnuts, almonds, asparagus, avocado, sunflower seeds, and eggs are all good sources of vitamin E.
Lutein - Directly linked to the amount of pigmentation in the eye, this non-vitamin nutrient increases the levels of pigmentation which has been show to decrease the chance of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. For people looking to increase their levels of Lutein intake, vegetables are the primary foods to consider. Kale, turnip greens, romaine lettuce, corn, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts all have high levels of Lutein. Kiwifruit is another good source.

I have also begun to use a SCENAR protocol for eye health, which can be found on the SCENAR Owners page for those who have purchased SCENARs from Healing Innovations. Hopefully, by using the SCENAR and paying more attention to my diet, I will be able to avoid further surgery.