Volume 3
September 2011
The Downtown Ophthalmology Center
Douglas F. Greer, MD
Eye MD/1200 G
“EYE HEALTH: EXAMINATIONS, NUTRIENTS, DIET AND EXERCISE“
Your eye health can be optimally maintained with regular eye examinations, adequate consumption of
certain nutrients, and proper nutrition/exercise in general. Below is an "Eye Q" true/false quiz to boost
your knowledge about eye health maintenance and improve overall health. Answers are at the bottom
of the reverse page.
1. T/F: Glaucoma can only be detected with a complete eye examination. Screenings/health fairs
easily miss glaucoma.
2. T/F: Beginning signs of Age Related Macular Degeneration, which are treatable, often are only
detectable with a complete eye examination.
3. T/F: Studies show that a diet rich in the phytochemicals lutein and zeaxanthin can decrease the
risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
4. T/F: It is a myth that spinach is packed with lutein and zeaxanthin -- more than any other food
(except kale) -- and contains numerous other important nutrients.
5. T/F: Adequate consumption of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), (e.g., fish, nuts,
seed oils, oral capsules) protects against Age Related Macular Degeneration - just the PUFA
Docosahexenoic Acid (DHA) is attached at 60% of the Carbon-2 positions of phospholipids in the
retina. Omega-3 PUFA’s are key chemicals in many organs, e.g., the brain and heart.
6. T/F: The tissues of our visual system --from the eyes reaching to the back of the brain -- can be
seriously damaged by diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, clogged arteries (heart
attack, stroke, etc.), and tumors, all of which are on the rise largely as a result of our epidemic of
obesity. Usually, obesity can be prevented/reversed with healthy eating and regular exercise.
7. T/F: The raging epidemic of type II Diabetes is caused by a combination of four interactive
factors: abdominal obesity, inactivity, unhealthy diet, and genetics.
8. T/F: In industrialized countries, the main cause of blindness between the ages of 30-60 is
diabetic retinopathy, where capillaries in the retina are damaged, causing ballooning, leakage,
and blockage.
9. T/F: Normal levels of intracellular magnesium (especially found in leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds,
dark chocolate, oral supplements, etc.) reduce the risk of developing diabetes and/or diabetic
complications. Magnesium deficiency is common, due to magnesium-depleted farm soil and
food-processing.
10. T/F: The refining of whole wheat into unenriched refined flour removes most of the vitamins
and minerals, including almost all of the magnesium.
11. T/F: Sedentary people do not have an increased risk of diabetes if their weight is normal and
their diet healthy.
12. T/F: Generally speaking, a diet shifted towards vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, and
legumes (Mediterranean diet) and away from oversized portions/processed foods/meats and
sweets is the healthiest.
13. T/F: The cheaper sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, is now used more than ordinary sugar in
processed foods, even though the syrup triggers more abdominal obesity than ordinary sugar. A
main cause of our accelerating epidemic of obesity, including children, is the instant availability
and eating of easily absorbed carbohydrates (fructose, sucrose, lactose. etc.) repeatedly in
snacks and meals.
14. T/F: There is evidence that consuming up to one whole egg per day does not increase risk of
heart disease, while it does provide abundant nutrients, including protein.
15. T/F: One should exercise - even walking - at least 30 minutes at least 4 times a week for good
health.
16. T/F: "Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food" was stated by the
USDA.
ANSWERS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
True
True
True
False (many will recall Popeye's spinach and his girlfriend, Olive Oyl)
True
True
True
True
True
True
False
True
True
True
True
False; Hippocrates, not the Department of Agriculture.