If you are what you eat and the eyes are the windows to the soul, nutrition can affect just how clearly you see through your windows.
The cornea of the eye can be likened to a window letting in light that is transformed into vision, images produced on the retina.
As the inner lining of the eye, the retina contains around 127 million light receptors: cones that produce colors and rods that adjust the contrast between light and dark.
Looking at the cellular level of the retina reveals the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a very thin layer of cube-like cells beneath the cones and rods. RPE cells channel oxygen and nutrients to these light receptors as well as recycle nutrients and remove waste.
The relationship between RPE cells and light receptors is crucial to eye health. And the right kind of nutrition is vital to keeping this relationship healthy.
Poor Nutrition Can Lead to Vision Loss
A 2019 study published in the Molecular Nutrition & Food Research journal determined that unhealthy diets can result in oxidative stress and impaired function of the retinal pigment epithelium. In other words, the wrong food can negatively alter vision at the cellular level.
Just like a clogged colon lined with impacted waste from poor nutrition, a similar effect can happen in the retina as a result of not eating well. The retinal pigment epithelium becomes unable to effectively detoxify the visual center of the eye.
A leading cause of vision loss is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), affecting the central part of the retina. AMD onset is caused by damage to retinal pigment epithelial cells. But there is nutritional protection from such eye issues.
A Few Eye-Healthy Nutrients
According to the American Optometric Association, a variety of antioxidant compounds that include beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin can help to prevent AMD or slow its progression. These carotenoids build and maintain the thickness of the retinal pigment epithelium, so they should be a regular part of a healthy diet.
A 2017 study found that although RPE cells consume a number of different nutrients, the amino acid proline tops the list. It seems that this nonessential amino acid—meaning the body can produce it—is essential for the retinal pigment epithelium. Besides, if you are sick or under stress, your body may not be able to produce enough.
Omega-3 essential fatty acids have been shown to provide vision protection, and flaxseed oil delivers a plant-based source.
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The key ingredient for a healthy body is wholesome food because that is where you get the bulk of the nutrients your cells need to maintain physical and mental well-being. And so it follows that what’s good for the body is healthy for the visual system.
Healthy Vision AIM
AIM has always promoted the fine idea of eating well, along with providing whole-food concentrates and targeted supplements to further increase the intake of natural nutrients that support overall body health, including the visual system.
The finest natural nutrients come from food that grows out of the earth. AIM harnessed a concentration of that goodness in whole-food powders. For example, Just Carrots supports eye health with nutrients such as beta-carotene and lutein.
One of the many amino acids in ProPeas is proline, the preferred food of the RPE cells that literally feed and detoxify the eyes.
As a targeted supplement, GinkgoSense supports blood flow to the extremities and contains the antioxidant compounds lutein and zeaxanthin.
For plant-based omega-3, AIMega delivers an organic source of this essential fatty acid from flaxseed oil.
Supplementing a healthy diet with AIM products such as these helps to ensure a steady supply of eye-healthy nutrients.
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