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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 10, 2015)
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 Steve and Cathy Carter Coast and Valley Cleaning We offer janitorial and cleaning services for commercial facilities and for homes. Hard wood fl oor, tile, carpet and upholstery cleaning, stain removal available. Power washing of your patio and driveway is offered. We will take away your yard debris too. Call or email us to meet and discuss your specifi c needs and provide you with a quote. CnVCleaning@gmail.com (541) 790-1454 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 WE’RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS Call now to make your summer appointments! New Summer Hours Monday - Saturday 9-5 Closed Sunday CELEBRATING 10 YEARS IN FLORENCE! LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT 10! W 541-997-2726 1457 8th Street, Florence e hav Auss e Pupp ie ies! 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Hammertoes Heel Spurs Ingrown Toenails Injuries Neuromas Plantar Fasciitis Sports Medicine Trauma Warts To help you understand your options, we've included descriptions of some of our leading services on our website. www.eugenefootandankle.com Owner/Detailer 541-999-6078 PetersenAutoDetailing @Gmail.com Florence 4480 Highway 101 Building G Mon/Tues (541) 997-2319 Eugene 1680 Chambers St. (541) 683-3351 The Trudie, Denyse, Shelby and Lalitha Fall is here! Time for a new look? Call and make your appointment today. We look forward to seeing you! Chick en Coop O N M A P L E Trick or Treat! Our prices can’t be beat! Stop in were located on Maple Street! 351 Laurel Old Town Florence 541-997-3160 129 Maple Street , Old Town Florence 541-991-7739 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. Master Gardener to tackle weeds Wednesday Senior discounts / Free estimates Toni of Red Rose Catering is now CATERING to your pets! •Day Care •Overnight Care •Weekly and Monthly Service Open 7am-7pm Daily (after hours available) 24-Hour Caregiver on Site - Licensed and Insured 4370 Hwy. 101 North In the Florence RV Complex (next to Bi-Mart) 541-590-2466 - Shot Records Required 2285 Highway 101 • Florence, OR 97439 (541) 997-8866 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. www.shoppelocal.biz