Beta carotene for vision

Did you have spinach in your diet today? We often hear why eating fruits and vegetables is important for heart health and cancer prevention. You can add eye health to this list, something we take lightly when we are young. But you shouldn’t think that although your vision will deteriorate with age, nothing can be done about it.

Content:

According to Robert Abel, professor of ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University and author of The Eye Care Revolution, nutrition is critical to eye health. We need a complex of nutrients, which are found mainly in fruits and vegetables. At least 5 servings of vegetables and fruits are required daily!

Nutrition for the eyes: where to start?

Are there certain foods that are better for eye health? Yes, sure. But the best place to start is by increasing the total amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet. According to research, only 27% of women and 19% of men (USA) eat the required amount of this food.

Maye Musk, nutritionist, international speaker, and author of Feel Great, says eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, especially richly colored ones like carrots, broccoli, and Hubbard squash (a type of pumpkin), are especially important for health. eye. Deep colors indicate high levels of beta-carotene and other carotenoids (plant pigments) needed for these organs.

Let's look at some vital eye nutrients that can be found in plant foods.

Eye nutrition and vitamin C

Ascorbic acid, a water-soluble vitamin and antioxidant, helps keep the eyes youthful and healthy by protecting certain parts of the eye from damage caused by ultraviolet rays. Antioxidants are substances that protect against natural but harmful oxidative processes.

In addition, vitamin C is involved in the synthesis of collagen, a protein that forms connective tissue. Collagen is the material for the formation of the cornea of ​​the eyes.

Barbara Gollman, a functional food specialist, says that ascorbic acid helps prevent and slow the development of cataracts. With this disease, the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, and varying degrees of visual impairment occur.

Vitamin C is an eye protector and can be compared to an anti-wrinkle cream for the skin. The requirement for ascorbic acid for women is 75 mg, for men – 90 mg.

But according to research, we may need 300 mg to get a cataract preventative effect.

Eye Products with Vitamin C

Where else can you find vitamin C besides citrus fruits? Look out for guava, red peppers, papaya, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, mango, strawberries, raspberries and pineapples.

Eye nutrition and vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and a powerful antioxidant that protects the vision from the negative effects of free radicals that cause the development of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases associated with the aging process. Vitamin E is involved in the formation of the retina and in the preservation of vitamin A, which is important for eye health. Vitamin E deficiency weakens visual acuity, leading to retinal degeneration.

Eye Products with Vitamin E

Vegetable oils are especially rich in vitamin E. This is an excellent reason not to overdo it when low-fat in your diet. Some of the best sources of vitamin E: wheat germ oil, sunflower oil, almonds, hazelnuts, cottonseed oil, wheat germ, papaya, fortified cereals, peanut butter.

Eye nutrition and zinc

Zinc prevents the development of some early forms of macular degeneration (the macula is the part of the retina that provides central vision). Zinc is an important micronutrient for retinal health. It is the predominant mineral in the structure of the eye, sharpening vision. Its deficiency worsens the severity.

Eye products with zinc

Zinc absorption decreases with age, when our eyes especially need it. To get enough of the micronutrient, you need to eat foods such as wheat germ, sunflower seeds, almonds, tofu, brown rice, milk, chicken and ground beef.

Eye nutrition and beta carotene

Beta-carotene is a carotenoid and antioxidant, provitamin A, which is converted in the liver and intestinal walls into retinol or vitamin A. Retinol is also called the antixerophthalmic vitamin, it is involved in the synthesis of rhodopsin, the main visual pigment, which is intended for night vision and restoration of eye cells. Signs of a lack of vitamin A in the diet can be: “night blindness” (impaired vision in the dark), perforation of the cornea, blepharitis (chronic inflammatory process of the edges of the eyelids), xephthalmia (drying of the conjunctiva and cornea), keratomalacia (damage to the cornea with melting and necrosis), loss of vision.

Beta-carotene is non-toxic compared to vitamin A and has powerful antioxidant properties: one molecule prevents the formation of 1000 free radicals or destroys them. The negative effect of free radicals leads to the development of cataracts. Beta carotene reverses the damage caused by them.

Barbara Goleman believes that beta-carotene supplements should not be recommended. Because this nutrient is easily obtained from food, and in the body it is converted into vitamin A.

There is no need to worry about excess beta-carotene in your diet. In case of overdose, the skin may temporarily take on an unusual shade of orange, but this is harmless.

Eye Products with Beta Carotene

To increase your beta-carotene intake, choose foods such as leafy greens, apricots, carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, kale, spinach, papaya, red peppers, melon, romaine lettuce, lettuce, and collards.

Carotenoids are a group of plant pigments that are antioxidants. According to many experts in the field of ophthalmology and nutrition, this category is the most promising in terms of maintaining eye health. There are over 600 carotenoids known, and only a few of them are found in food, and even fewer are found in the human body. Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin are all found in the body, but only lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the structure of the eye. In particular, these two carotenoids will help maintain the health of the retina and macula, protecting against macular degeneration.

It is carotenoids that give colors to foods. Carotene masquerades as dark green chlorophyll in leaves and can also turn tomatoes ruby ​​red, watermelons bright pink, and sweet potatoes orange.

This way, having colorful foods on your plate will help keep your eyes healthy!

Beta-carotene (vitamin A)

A substance found in foods of animal and non-animal origin that is beneficial for human vision is beta-carotene. It is a powerful immunomodulator and antioxidant.

Thanks to the intake of beta-carotene from food in the doses necessary for a person, it will be possible to restore vision, normalize the functioning of the retina, and get rid of dry eye syndrome and increased lacrimation caused by a lack of vitamins. In addition, beta-carotene reduces the risk of developing cataracts and is a preventive agent for the progression of dystrophic diseases of the retina.

The daily requirement for this useful substance is 5 mg for an adult.

You can find it in many products, however, the record holder is:

Red palm oil is the world record holder for beta-carotene content, 5 mg in 1 teaspoon!

Among greens, sorrel (7 mg) and parsley (5.7 mg) come first, followed by watercress (5.6 mg), then spinach and celery (4.5 mg), almost half as much as green onions. (2 mg), garlic (2.4 mg) and lettuce (1.8 mg). There is very little of it in dill (1 mg).

Berries are not deprived of a substance that benefits human vision: most of it can be obtained by eating sea buckthorn (7 mg), rose hips (5 mg) and wild garlic (4.2 mg), it is found in mountain ash (1.2 mg), not Apricot (1.6 mg) will be less useful; cherries and plums (0.1 mg) close this list.

As for fruits, it is beneficial to consume both mangoes (2.9 mg) and peaches (0.5 mg).

Among the vegetables, carrots lead (9 mg), followed by red peppers (2 mg), non-bitter green peppers (1.2), pumpkin (1.5), and tomatoes (1.2). Separately, we can distinguish broccoli (1.5), Brussels sprouts (0.3 mg) and red cabbage (0.3 mg), as well as potatoes (0.02 mg).

Legumes are not distinguished by their high content; only 1.4 mg of useful substance can be found in green peas and beans.

There is quite a lot of it in melon (2 mg) and much less in watermelon (0.1 mg).

Among products of animal origin, the leader is liver (1 mg), followed by butter and sour cream 0.2 and 0.15 mg, respectively, and at the end there is cottage cheese - 0.06 mg.

When calculating the daily requirement of this substance, it is important to take into account the fact that it is not completely absorbed from food, so if it is deficient, it is worth consuming large amounts of food.

Lutein

The carotenoid pigment is lutein; it can be found in algae, some microorganisms, plants and flowers. A person must obtain this substance from food, since the body is not able to produce it on its own. Lutein is needed primarily for the eyes, since there is 10,000 times more lutein in the retina than in blood plasma. Regular consumption of it in food helps maintain eye health and improve visual acuity.

The yellow spot, located in the center of the retina, gets its color thanks to lutein. Its derivative zeaxanine can be found in the ciliary body, in the choroid of the eye, in the lens and iris. Thanks to the presence of zeaxanin, the eye filters sunlight, or rather part of it, until it hits the photoreceptors. This helps to increase visual acuity, allowing you to see and examine even the smallest details of the image more clearly.

Another beneficial property of lutein for the eyes is that it acts as a protector of the organ of vision from free radicals and prevents their destructive effect on the retina. The higher the concentration of lutein, the lower the risk of visual impairment due to retinal damage. To replenish reserves, the body needs to receive it from foods in the amount of 5 mg per day.

For this purpose, it is useful to eat (based on 100 grams per mcg):

Greens such as spinach (11607) and celery (229).

Vegetables, in particular pumpkin (8173) and carrots (335).

Green peas (1292) and other legumes (616).

Fruits, the first place among which is persimmon (346). There is less of it in tangerines and oranges (131 and 113), as well as in peaches (51).

For eye health, don't forget about corn (356).

Of animal products, you can consume chicken egg yolk for this purpose (32).

Why is lutein so important?

Replenishing lutein is so important primarily because of the thinning ozone layer of the earth and increased attacks of ultraviolet radiation, which have a detrimental effect on vision.

Working at a computer for long periods of time and watching TV for many hours every day are not beneficial. All this leads to the development of age-related macular degeneration. If previously it affected mainly elderly people, now young people also suffer from this pathology. Therefore, it is so important to consume lutein in sufficient quantities, because it is what protects the retina from dystrophic lesions.

Vitamin E

If we consider the benefits of various substances for vision, it is impossible to lose sight of vitamin E. It has a significant effect on the development of such serious pathologies as macular degeneration and cataracts, protecting the eyes from irreversible age-related changes.

The beneficial quality of this vitamin is that it maintains the condition of the blood vessels, including small ones, that penetrate the eyeball and provide its nutrition.

To maintain visual acuity, it is important to receive it with food in quantities of up to 210 mg per day.

The effectiveness of Vetoron is due to the beta-carotene (provitamin A) it contains, which is beneficial for vision, as well as vitamins C and E. These substances have powerful antioxidant properties, which are enhanced due to their synergism.

Beta-carotene is involved in the mechanisms of photoreception of the eye, plays an important role in maintaining its antioxidant status, reduces lipid peroxidation and normalizes metabolic processes in the cornea. As a result, many eye diseases are prevented: progressive myopia, glaucoma, cataracts, uveitis, retinopathy of various etiologies, intraocular hemorrhages.

"Vetoron" is recommended for use in the complex treatment and prevention of age-related changes in the retina, to improve adaptation in the dark, and with cataracts.

Being a precursor of vitamin A and possessing its positive properties, beta-carotene has a fundamental advantage. It is able to accumulate in the depot, transforming under the influence of enzymes in the liver and intestines into vitamin A only in certain quantities needed by the body at each stage of its functioning. At the same time, beta-carotene does not have the toxic effect that occurs with an excess or overdose of vitamin A.

Vetoron contains beta-carotene in a water-soluble form that is optimal for absorption. The technology patented by Russian scientists (patent No. 2077529) makes it possible to convert initially fat-soluble substances into a water-soluble form. Water solubility ensures high bioavailability of active substances, and the synergy of antioxidant components ensures the effectiveness of protecting cellular structures from the action of reactive oxygen species.

A study of the effectiveness of Vetoron in the complex treatment of various diseases of the organs of vision was carried out on the basis of the 7th Central Military Research Aviation Hospital. It has been shown that the use of "Vetoron" helps to reduce the rehabilitation period and its occurrence without complications in ophthalmic patients who have undergone surgical treatment.

The studies were carried out in the ophthalmology department on 170 patients taking Vetoron 20 mg once a day in the morning after breakfast. The course of treatment was 15 days. The control group receiving traditional treatment consisted of 168 patients. The use of Vetoron alone (in the absence of other types of therapy) in the treatment of atherosclerotic macular degeneration led to an improvement in vision in 80% of patients.

Kokhan V.E., Tkachenko V.K. Report on the use of the drug “Vetoron” in ophthalmology at the 7th Central Military Clinical Aviation Hospital (7TSVKAG).

In a study conducted at the 32nd Central Naval Clinical Hospital, it was shown that taking the drug “Vetoron” improves the functional state of the visual analyzer and reduces the level of activity of lipid peroxidation processes.

28 patients took part in the study:

1. 10 patients with diagnoses of “ischemic retinopathy”, “macular degeneration”, “central chorioretinal dystrophy”, “sclerotic retinal dystrophy”, “cataracts”, “retinal atherosclerosis” took Vetoron 6 mg of beta-carotene per day against the background of traditional treatment, including taking Cavinton, Trental under the conjunctiva of both eyes, hyperbaric oxygenation and magnetic therapy,
2. 10 patients with the same diagnoses, in addition to the above treatment, took Vetoron 5 drops (5 mg of beta-carotene) 1 time per day.

The total duration of treatment in both cases was 15 days.

1. The comparison group (8 people) did not receive Vetoron.

The study showed that the use of Vetoron (which contains beta-carotene) helps to stabilize chronic pathological processes in the body and can be considered as a means to prevent the progression of degenerative diseases of the retina.

Bely Yu.A. Preliminary conclusion on the clinical effectiveness of the drug "Vetoron". 32 Central Naval Clinical Hospital

1. Chesnokova N.B. The importance of beta-carotene for vision // Eye. – 2004. – June. download