Foods to help reduce
glaucoma risk
By Chris Kilham, | Fox News
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness among adults. The disease involves an
increase in pressure in the eye, which distorts the shape of the eyeball, damaging
the lens of the eye, and resulting in blindness. This disease can be mitigated to an
extent with eye drops, and cannabis, too, has shown to be of help. Sadly, many
people go blind due to glaucoma.
Now a study has shown that eating the right foods may help to reduce the risk of
glaucoma, prevent the disease, and help people to maintain healthy eyesight longer
in life. Researchers reported their findings in the Archives of the Spanish Society
of Ophthalmology.
Doctors have known for some time that too much salt can increase overall blood
pressure, leading to increased intra-ocular pressure in the eyes, exacerbating
glaucoma. Therefore, moderate salt consumption has been a standard dietary
recommendation for those with, or at risk for, glaucoma. But the Spanish study
goes further, examining the diets of people in two American ophthalmological
studies, and in one study from Rotterdam.
According to these large population studies, intake of foods rich in retinol— a
form of vitamin A— helps to reduce the risk of glaucoma. Retinol-rich foods
include milk, liver, cheese and butter. Interestingly, there was no evidence that a
diet rich in dietary fats has any role in the promotion of glaucoma, even though it is
well established that, in general, excessive intake of fats contributes to obesity and
cardiovascular disease.
Digging deeper, the researchers saw a correlation between lower rates of glaucoma
and higher consumption of leafy green vegetables (notably cabbage), carrots, fruits
and fruit juices in general, and especially orange-colored fruits such as peaches and
apricots.
The Spanish study also recommended high antioxidant foods including green tea,
chocolate (the darker and more bitter the better), coffee (skip the sugar and go easy
on the cream), and regular black tea. At the same time, they cautioned that those
who have well-established cases of glaucoma should consume little or no caffeine,
as that can increase intraocular pressure and exacerbate the disease.
To a great extent, the study highlighted the benefits of the usual suspects. Leafy
green vegetables and colorful foods are cited for their protective, diseasepreventing benefits, due largely to their concentration of beneficial antioxidants.
Flavonol-rich foods, notably tea, green tea, coffee and chocolate, offer preventive
benefits that extent to glaucoma. And red wine, with its significant antioxidant
load, is also recommended.
In the glaucoma study, the researchers provided a seven-point set of guidelines for
reducing risk. They are:
1. Consume abundant amounts of colorful fruit and vegetables.
2. Avoid high intake of salt in patients with hypertensive glaucoma.
3. Refrain from high-calorie diets (restricting fat) to avoid an increase in body fat.
4. Consider eating fish or nuts rich in omega-3 PFA, which appear to reduce risk.
5. Avoid drinking large amounts of liquid in a single take. It is preferable to drink
small amounts in the course of the day.
6. Consume moderate amounts of red wine, black chocolate and green tea.
7. Avoid coffee and caffeinated beverages into reduce increased blood pressure if
you already have glaucoma.
Hundreds of years ago, Hippocrates, regarded as the father of modern medicine,
said “Let your food be thy medicine.” Our grandmothers said pretty much the same
thing. Now it appears that even with a leading cause of blindness, this advice is
sage indeed.
Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter who researches natural remedies all over the
world, from the Amazon to Siberia. Chris advises herbal, cosmetic and
pharmaceutical companies, is a regular guest on radio and TV programs worldwide,
and is the author of fifteen books. Read more at MedicineHunter.com.