EYE SUPPLEMENTS
& GOOD NUTRITION
For a Healthy Retina
D.M. DEUPREE, MD
Research shows that a higher intake of
healthy carotenoids can help strengthen
the retina against age-related macular
degeneration.
Eat your fruits and vegetables.
How often did we hear this from
our parents while growing up?
It's still good advice,
of course. Vegetables
like spinach,
Diets high in fruits
and green, leafy
vegetables—along
with eye vitamins
and supplements —
can help lower the
incidence of macular
collard greens, kale,
carrots and squash,
as well as fruits like
blueberries, should
be eaten (raw or
cooked) at least 2–3
times per week.
In addition to the
most obvious health
benefits, carefully
controlled studies
have demonstrated that people with
diets high in these particular fruits
and vegetables — plus those who
take certain eye vitamins and supplements
degeneration.
— have a lower incidence
of age-related macular degeneration
(AMD).
CAROTENOIDS & EYE HEALTH
According to a study published in
the Journal of the American Medical
Association, a
higher intake of
carotenoids like
lutein can help slow
the progression of
AMD. The study
found that people
who consumed
carotenoids were
43 percent less at
risk for the disease.
Foods such as those
listed above—along
with sweet potatoes,
cantaloupes and many others
often known for their vibrant orange,
yellow and green colors—are rich in
these beneficial carotenoids.
Drs. Dana Deupree and Michael
Tolentino — vitreo-retinal specialists
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