MacuHealth News

MacuHealth News

Nourishing Our Eyes Can Enhance the Colors of the Fall

Everything turns orange this time of year. As the days become shorter and the weather gets a little cooler, the leaves, sunsets, pumpkins and maybe even our coffee turn a bright reddish-yellow hue.

But even as the colorful scenery becomes more breathtaking, driving can become more dangerous during the fall season. Early afternoon sunsets can make it difficult to see when heading home after a long workday, or bright headlights from oncoming traffic can wash out our vision at night.

Though we may have 20/20 vision, visual acuity isn't an indicator of how our eyes will perform in various conditions, such as harsh sunlight or dark environments. The classic “vision chart” test doesn't indicate our ability to detect subtle differences or objects in low-light conditions. To improve visual performance in these conditions, you should start with nutrition.

Because the quality of our diets has declined, our eyes aren't getting the nourishment they need. Antioxidants known as macular carotenoids are shown to improve eyesight, specifically Meso-Zeaxanthin, Zeaxanthin and Lutein. They're in spinach, kale, peppers and eggs, and eating them builds up macular pigment density, leading to improved contrast sensitivity and glare tolerance (i.e., better vision in extreme light and dark conditions).

Supplements are a proven natural treatment shown to help improve visual performance associated with the function of the retina and brain. Studies have shown that our eyes can better communicate with our brain and process images significantly faster with continuous supplementation of all three macular carotenoids. Additionally, MacuHealth, which includes all three carotenoids that make up the macular pigment, has been scientifically proven to protect the eye from damage from harmful blue light and enhance vision.

If you want your patients to take in all the beauty of the fall season, consider recommending MacuHealth.