Brain Food? The Eyes Have It!

Brain Food? The Eyes Have It!

This is Dr. Michael Greger, M.D. FACLM, of “Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen” and “How Not To Die” fame, and he wants us to protect our brains (and while we’re at it, our eyesight).

And the secret is…

Lutein.

This is a carotenoid, which is super important for the eyes and brain. Which is critical, because Dr. Greger wants you to know about lutein is how important it is for the protection of your brain/eyes, both against cognitive decline and against age-related macular degeneration (the most common cause of eyesight loss in old age).

Important take-away info:

• Two things that hasten brain aging are inflammation and oxidative stress. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory foods mitigate those.
• Researchers investigated eight different dietary antioxidants, including vitamins A and E. Only lutein was “significantly related to better cognition”.
• The macula in the middle of our retina is packed with lutein, and levels in the retina correspond to levels in the rest of our brain.
• Alzheimer’s patients have significantly less lutein in their eyes and in their blood, and a higher occurrence of macular degeneration.
• Dark green leafy vegetables are lutein superstars. A half cup of kale has 50 times more lutein than an egg.

Want to know more about the Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen approach to health?

See the Website / Get the App (Android & iOS) / Get the Science Book / Get the Cookbook!