How To Support Eye Health

Maintaining Eye Health with Nutrition and Healthy Practices
April 8, 2020 by
DR. MICHAEL E. ROSENBAUM
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Updated by Sun Chlorella team on April 8, 2020

Eating greens even just once a month can make a difference, study finds.

In 2008, a study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology showed that simply by eating nutritious greens like kale and collards once per month, women decreased their chance of having eye problems later in life by 69%. 

Just once a month!

If just some greens once a month can make that kind of a difference, imagine what it can do for your eyes to have  one of the greenest known superfoods everyday-  chlorella! 

Chlorella is a single-celled, freshwater green algae often referred to as The King of Superfoods. Bursting with nutrients, chlorella contains vitamins, minerals, and more nutritious green chlorophyll than most plant foods. One serving of chlorella contains an equivalent amount of chlorophyll as about 2 - 2.5 cups of spinach or kale. Chlorella also contains carotenoids - special plant pigments that support your eyes and nerves. 

These carotenoids include:

- Lutein. Lutein is so important to your eye health that doctors can assess how good your vision is simply by measuring the concentration of the pigment in your retina. A normal serving of chlorella won't give you the full amount of lutein recommended in studies. But with 3 to 6 mg of this special pigment per serving (Sun Chlorella tablets vs. Sun Chlorella Powder), it gives you a nice start. 

- Beta-carotene, the natural precursor for vitamin A. Vitamin A became recognized as a vitamin - by definition, a nutrient essential for life - thanks to its essential role in eye health.

When it comes to the natural form of Vitamin A, a serving of Sun Chlorella tablets gives you 5% of the Daily Value for this vitamin. But just because chlorella has a good supply of the carotenoids your eyes need to work well, doesn't mean your eye can use them. 

Here's why...

Carotenoids compete for absorption. When you have too much of beta-carotene, for example, your body won't take in as much lutein. However, chlorella's carotenoids are perfectly balanced by nature so your body will absorb them all in optimum amounts. 

With chlorella you know you're getting the real deal. Lutein's molecular structure can vary depending on its source and if it's synthesized or natural. Chlorella's form of lutein is the same natural form used in studies on eye health. 
 
Exercise For Eye Health

Preliminary research has shown that exercise can increase the delivery of a growth hormone to the retina of the eye. This growth hormone seems to help the eye defend itself against damage from UV rays. It also seems to help the retina respond better to light.[3] 

Give Your Eyes A Break 

We spend more and more of our time looking at screens. All this screen time damages our eyes in several ways. We blink less, refreshing our eyes less. Our eyes strain to focus closeup (just like with reading a book). And the light can also be tough on the eyes. To combat the eye strain from computers, experts recommend you follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds and look at something 20 feet away. 

Support Your Eyesight With These  Techniques 

The key to healthy eyes is to take good care of them. Eat right, exercise, get outdoors and rest them. Give your eyes the attention they deserve so they can keep serving you well. With healthy eyes, nothing will stop you from following your vision and doing what you love to do well into your senior years. 




Sources:  
[1] Essential Fatty Acids Omega-3: DHA And EPA. American Optometric Association. Viewed 2/22/15 at http://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/caring-for-your-vision/essential-fatty-acids?sso=y.  
[2] AREDS2 Study Group. Lutein + Zeaxanthin and Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2013;309(19):2005-2015  
[3] Lawson EC et al. Aerobic Exercise Protects Retinal Function and Structure from Light-Induced Retinal Degeneration.The Journal of Neuroscience, 12 February 2014, 34(7): 2406-2412.  




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