SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
9 A
J OEL F UHRMAN , MD
Set your sights on carrots, greens
As a child, you probably
heard that carrots are good for
your eyes. This may be because
carrots (and other orange and
yellow vegetables and fruits)
are abundant in beta-carotene
— a provitamin A carotenoid,
meaning it is converted to vita-
min A in the body.
Vitamin A is important for
eye health, especially for night
vision as it helps to produce a
pigment called rhodopsin in the
retina, which helps the eye
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detect low levels of light and
allows us to see at night. As
such, vitamin A deficiency is
known to cause night blind-
ness.
However, beta-carotene is
not the only carotenoid that
contributes to healthy vision.
Out of about 600 known
carotenoids, 20 have been
found circulating in human
blood and only two are found
in the eye. They are lutein and
zeaxanthin, which cannot be
synthesized by the body and
are primarily found in green
leafy vegetables.
Once consumed, these two
carotenoids accumulate in the
macula, the inner portion of the
retina, which has a high con-
centration of photoreceptor (or
light receptor) cells. The typi-
cal amount of lutein and zeax-
anthin in the macula (called
“macular pigment”) is quite
low among Americans, due to
low intake of leafy greens.
The retina is the most meta-
bolically active tissue in the
body, and lutein and zeaxanthin
provide antioxidant protection.
Furthermore, macular pigment
reduces glare and enhances
contrast and visual acuity, and
acts as a filter to protect the
macula from blue light damage.
Blue light is a part of visible
light (and sunlight). Electronic
devices and energy-efficient
lighting increase our exposure
to it, especially in the evenings.
The idea that leafy greens
benefit vision began to gain
momentum about 20 years ago
in research on age-related mac-
ular degeneration (AMD), a
disease in which the photore-
ceptors in the macula are pro-
gressively damaged or lost,
causing impaired vision.
AMD is the leading cause of
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blindness worldwide.
In 1994, a study on AMD
found that higher total
carotenoid intake was associat-
ed with lower risk of the dis-
ease, and lutein and zeaxanthin
were the specific carotenoids
most strongly associated with
decreased risk.
When looking at foods, high-
er intake of spinach and collard
greens (rich sources of lutein
and zeaxanthin) were also asso-
ciated with decreased risk.
More studies followed,
many reporting that higher
lutein and zeaxanthin intake
was linked to lower AMD risk.
Supplementation trials in
AMD patients also reported
increases in macular pigment
(more lutein and zeaxanthin in
the macula) and improvement
in visual performance.
These results sparked the
marketing of eye health sup-
plements containing lutein and
zeaxanthin. However, previous
findings on isolated carotenoid
supplements should urge us to
be cautious; several trials of
beta-carotene
supplements
have reported an increased risk
of lung cancer, cardiovascular
disease or overall mortality.
This is an unacceptable risk
for a nutrient we can easily get
from foods, which have no
risk.
These nutritional benefits
are also enhanced by accompa-
nying phytonutrients in green
vegetables that have further
benefits to the entire body.
The typical American diet is
dangerously low in leafy
greens, and the average adult’s
intake of lutein + zeaxanthin
from foods is a meager 1.5 mg
per day.
Just a single cup of cooked
spinach or kale contains more
than 20 mg of lutein + zeaxan-
thin, and collards more than 14
mg; commercial vision supple-
ments commonly contain 10-
20 mg of lutein plus 2 mg or
less zeaxanthin.
A healthful diet actually sup-
plies more of these beneficial
nutrients for the eye than sup-
plements do.
Of course leafy greens have
several advantages over sup-
plements, with a huge variety
of additional carotenoids and
other beneficial nutrients with
no risk of excess.
Dr. Fuhrman is a and board
certified family physician special-
izing in lifestyle and nutritional
medicine. Visit his website at Dr
Fuhrman.com, or submit questions
and comments to newsquestions
@drfuhrman.com.
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The Florence Garden
Club will welcome the
autumn season at its
October program and meet-
ing.
The public is invited to
hear special guest speaker
and gardener Pat Patterson.
While her 39 years as a
Master Gardener is an
achievement, it’s her atti-
tude towards gardening that
sparks this presentation.
Patterson is eager to
share her knowledge with
the community regarding
weeds.
Her presentation will help
gardeners identify them as
well as use them for food
and medicine.
Don’t miss this free pres-
entation of “Weeds and
Wildings” on Wednesday,
Oct. 14, beginning at 1
p.m., at the Presbyterian
Church, 3996 Highway 101.
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