Nutrition is a hot topic these days,
in the field of eye health as well as general health.
Unfortunately, it is also a complex, contradictory, and often confusing subject.
For example, obesity is becoming a serious health issue worldwide, as people consume too much calorie-dense food, yet these same people can be deficient in specific nutrients from eating too little of the nutrient-rich foods. Reports based on current research can assure us one day that a particular nutrient is the best thing for us, then link it to a health problem the next day. When taking supplements, knowing how much to take is important. Most nutrients will cause certain health problems if deficient, but can be toxic at higher levels.
In this country, the conditions causing the most frequent problems with vision and eye health are cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and dry eyes. In addition, several systemic diseases have associated effects on the eye, such as diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disease and most arthritic diseases. It used to be easy to think of these conditions as an inevitable part of aging, but they are now starting to show up in younger people also. Recent research is suggesting that long term, low-grade inflammation is responsible for many of the eye diseases. Our ability to control the inflammation and avoid these eye diseases is largely related to what we eat over our entire lifetime, not just as adults.
Over the past several years, I have read many reports and attended lectures on our diet as it relates to the health of our eyes. Here are some of the main points that I have filtered out of all of that information. If you are changing your diet - always be careful of potential allergies and sensitivities to the new foods.
Balance your essential fatty acids
The omega 3 essential fatty acids DHA and EPA are natural anti-inflammatory agents. Both omega 6 and omega 3 essential fatty acids are required in our diets, but they must be present in the proper balance. The best ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 is no higher than 4:1. Unfortunately, the ratio is closer to 20:1 in our modern diet, because of grain fed beef and pork, and the widespread use of processed vegetable oils high in omega 6, such as corn, safflower, sunflower and soybean oils. Omega 6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory. We need them to help heal injuries and fight off disease-causing microorganisms, but too much can lead to chronic inflammatory conditions, including macular degeneration and dry eyes. Too much can also cancel out the anti-inflammatory benefits of omega 3.
The best sources of omega 3 fatty acids are cold water fish such as salmon, herring, sardines, tuna and mackerel. Supplements are also widely available. One of the best is natural cod liver oil, which contains vitamins A and D in addition to the omega 3. If using a supplement, aim for one containing at least 1000 mg of combined DHA and EPA per day. Supplements from other sources are also available for those allergic to fish. Decreasing the intake of omega 6, by avoiding cookies, pastries, and fried and processed foods also helps to bring the ratio closer to 4:1.
Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day
Fruits and vegetables, in general, are very good sources of many antioxidants important to the eyes, such as vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene. Antioxidants protect our cells and molecules from the damaging free radicals which form as a natural by-product of the cells’ use of oxygen. The recommended 5 to 10 servings a day supply an abundance of vitamins and other phytonutrients with antioxidant properties to help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. They are also a good source of fibre, which can help regulate blood sugar and decrease the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, with its associated eye problems. (When counting your servings, don’t count potatoes as a vegetable but, rather, in the same category as rice and pasta.)
Lutein and zeaxanthin are the two main phytonutrients found in the macula of the eye, which is the part of the retina responsible for our sharpest central vision. They act as a filter, protecting the macula from damaging blue light, and also have antioxidant properties. Research has shown that macular degeneration is more prevalent in people with lower amounts of these macular pigments. Another study very recently has suggested that increased intake of lutein can improve visual function in young people who spend many hours in front of a computer daily. It is thought to improve the eye’s ability to see in low contrast situations. Computers, cell phones, tablets, and anything with a lit screen give off blue light – and may accelerate the aging process in our eyes. Increasing the amount of lutein and zeaxanthin in our diets significantly increases their density in our retinas. Both are found in dark green vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli and turnip greens, as well as yellow foods such as egg yolks, corn and oranges. One of the best sources of zeaxanthin is orange bell peppers. If taking a supplement, 10 - 15 mg daily of lutein or preferably a combination of lutein and zeaxanthin is recommended. (The Vision Institute of Canada has an excellent reference on nutrition and the eye. Go to Vision Institute , click on “About Us” and then “Nutrition and Vision”.)
Include nuts, beans and whole grains in your diet
Substituting these foods for other high fat, less nutritious foods can improve your diet in a number of ways. All are good sources of fibre, which helps control blood sugar levels, decreasing the risk of diabetes.
Unless you are allergic, nuts and seeds are also a good source of vitamin E and zinc, two of the more important nutrients for eye health, plus antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids. Walnuts, in particular, are known to decrease the risk of macular degeneration as well as the risk of heart attack. Choose nuts that haven’t had extra salt and oil added to them.
Beans are a good source of protein, besides being high in antioxidants. Regular consumption of beans helps to reduce the risk of many health problems including diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, hypertension, and obesity. The beans that are darkest in colour have the highest levels of antioxidants. Black and red beans are especially good.
Grains that go through the refining process lose most of their fibre, B vitamins, minerals, vitamin E and other phytonutrients. Eating oatmeal or other whole grain cereals for breakfast, and substituting whole wheat bread and pasta for the refined varieties, are easy ways to improve your nutrition.
Non-nutritional lifestyle habits - Don’t smoke!
Smoking is one of the absolute worst things you can do to your eyes. Smokers have 2 - 3 times the risk of developing cataracts and 6 times the risk of macular degeneration.
Regular exercise improves the circulation to the eyes, transporting those nutrients to where they are needed. It also helps to improve insulin sensitivity, reducing the risk of developing diabetes. Something as simple as walking regularly can help to reduce your risk of developing age-related eye diseases.
Legal Notice
The information below applies to all the information contained on the rseyecentre.ca Website.
The users of this Website agree to comply with the terms set out below.
TERMS OF USE
Reenders Square Eye Centre owns and operates a Website at rseyecentre.ca (hereinafter referred to as the “site” or “Website”). Reenders Square Eye Centre® trademark except as otherwise noted on the site, which is accessible to all users (hereinafter referred to as the “user” or “users”). Refrain from using this Website unless you agree to comply with the conditions.
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INFORMATION
Information on this Website is intended for informational purposes only and has no contractual value. Reenders Square Eye Centre reserves the right to modify the content of this site. At any time, without prior notice. Reenders Square Eye Centre assumes no liability for errors or omissions in the content of this Website or for information reliability or completeness of said information.
Information published on this Website is based on marketing, statistical or commercial services or other sources the Reenders Square Eye Centre considers reliable and are the sole responsibility of their authors and not of Reenders Square Eye Centre. We do not assume any liability for the accuracy or completeness of said information and in no circumstance should this information be regarded as such. Opinions and information as presented on this site reflect our position as of the date of publication and are subject to change without notice.
UPDATING OF THE WEBSITE UNDER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF Reenders Square Eye Centre
Reenders Square Eye Centre, its employees and directors will not be liable for damages incurred as a result of the information published on this site, for the views and advice published, expressed or implied regardless of its nature.
Reenders Square Eye Centre expressly refuses any and all responsibility for the manner in which the user of the site may use the information contained, in any decisions that may be made and in the actions that may or may not be taken based on said information.
COPYRIGHT PROTECTION
Presentations made and contained on this site are the intellectual property of Reenders Square Eye Centre. Reproduction in whole or in part of this site on any other medium in prohibited without the express permission of Reenders Square Eye Centre.
User may solely use the information contained on this site for personal use. Reproduction in whole or in part of said information on paper may only be performed for personal use. Said information is not to be copied, distributed or transmitted to third parties nor may it be inserted in a document or other medium.
HYPERTEXT LINKS
The links to external Websites and their content shall not be prejudged and Reenders Square Eye Centre will in no way be held responsible for any direct or indirect prejudice that may result from gaining access to and usage of said sites.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Reenders Square Eye Centre draws the attention of the user to the fact that all communication transmitted through this Website remains in the public domain and not the private domain. OSI cannot accept responsibility for the security of the transmission of information.
The confidentiality and integrity of the information circulating over the internet cannot be ensured. Reenders Square Eye Centre cannot accept responsibility in the case that data contained on this site is intercepted.
Reenders Square Eye Centre site uses cookies. These cookies are small text files saved on the hard disk of a user's computer. These files are completely harmless and cannot contain viruses. These cookies are used to analyze visits to the site. Reenders Square Eye Centre calls upon Google Analytics to help track how users use the site. The number of visitors, path taken to access the site and length of each visit are measured. The cookies cannot, in any way, identify the user. All data is completely anonymous and compiled solely for the purpose of improving the site and tailoring the content to the needs of its visitors.
The person responsible for the protection of personal information is the owner of : Reenders Square Eye Centre
VIRUSES AND TECHNICAL GLITCHES
Reenders Square Eye Centre makes no representations that the content of this site is free of infections, viruses, worms, Trojan horses and/or other codes with contaminating or destructive properties. It is the user's responsibility to take protective measures.
Reenders Square Eye Centre DECLINES ALL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE EVENT OF ANY INTERRUPTION OR NON-AVAILABILITY OF THE SERVICE
Under no circumstances shall Reenders Square Eye Centre be held responsible for transmission errors of any sort, such as loss of or damage to data, or changes of any type whatsoever, including direct or indirect damage resulting from the use of the services provided on this site.
JURISDICTION
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the province of Mb.
Any dispute arising of this Agreement shall be brought before the court in the judicial district of
Reenders Square Eye Centre's head office.
Address:
50-11 Reenders Drive, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2C5K5;
Tel: (204) 421-9429.
PUBLISHING FIRM
Reenders Square Eye Centre
50-11 Reenders Drive, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2C5K5
Tel: (204) 421-9429
Acceptance of the Privacy Policy
Thank you for visiting rseyecentre.ca (the “Website”), provided to you by Reenders Square Eye Centre (“We”). We respect the privacy of every individual who visits the Website and are sensitive to privacy issues on the Internet. We believe it is important that you know how we deal with information received about you.
This privacy policy (the “Privacy Policy”) explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect the personal information of our customers and Website users ("you"), describes the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide to us, and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information. The Website is for general audiences and is not specifically targeted to or intended for use by children.
We will only use your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy unless otherwise required by applicable law. We take steps to ensure that the personal information that we collect about you is adequate, relevant, not excessive, and used for limited purposes. Privacy laws in Canada generally define "Personal Information" as any information about an identifiable individual, which includes information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person.
By accessing or using the Website, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy, and you are consenting to our processing of your information as set out in this Privacy Policy. We may modify or update this Privacy Policy from time to time; if we change this Privacy Policy in a manner that materially impacts your privacy rights, we will provide a notice to you. Your continued use of the Website or our services after any modification to this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such modification. However, when required by law, we will confirm your consent to the revised Privacy Policy terms. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and considered a part of the Website Terms and Conditions of Use, located here
What information we collect
We collect and use several types of information from and about you, including:
- Personal Information, that we can reasonably use to directly or indirectly identify you, such as your full name, email address, telephone number and any other identifier we may use to contact you online or offline.
- Non-personal information is information that does not directly or indirectly reveal your identity or directly relate to an identified individual, such as demographic information, or statistical or aggregated information. Statistical or aggregated data does not directly identify a specific person, but we may derive non-personal statistical or aggregated data from Personal Information. For example, we may aggregate Personal Information to calculate the percentage of users accessing a specific Website feature.
How we collect the information
Information You Provide to Us
The information we collect directly from you may include:
- Communicating with us: When you contact us about a customer service issue, Vision Entrepreneur services or to make other inquiries, we collect the content of those communications, as well as your full name, clinic name, email, phone number, city, province, and any additional information that allows us to answer your request.
Information We Collect While You Interact With Us Through Cookies and Other Automatic Data Collection Technologies
- Refer to Cookie Policy (here)
Information We Collect About You From Third Parties
- Refer to Cookie Policy (here)
How we use your information
We use your information, including your Personal Information, to manage our business and to maintain and develop commercial relationships with you. We will collect, use, and disclose such information only to the extent that is necessary for those purposes.
We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any Personal Information:
- To provide you with information, products, or services that you request from us.
- To fulfill the purposes for which you provided the information or that were described when it was collected, or any other purpose for which you provide it.
- To improve the Website, products or services, marketing, or customer relationships and experiences.
- To allow you to participate in interactive features, social media, or similar features on the Website.
- To measure or understand the effectiveness of the advertising we serve to you and others, and to deliver relevant advertising to you.
- In any other way we may describe when you provide the information.
- For any other purpose with your consent.
How we share your information
We will not rent or sell your information to third parties without your consent. We only share your data as specifically provided in this Privacy Policy.
Other Disclosures
In addition to any disclosure you may have consented to or permitted under the terms of this Privacy Policy, we may transfer your data, including Personal Information to third parties in the following limited circumstances:
- information you expressly consent to be shared;
- when relating to anonymized information (individuals cannot be identified by it);
- when you decide to make the information indexable by search engines, to share or to distribute the information to people or otherwise to make it available to the public;
- to satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request within or outside your country of residence when we have a good faith belief that the law requires it;
- to enforce this Privacy Policy, the Terms, or an agreement, including investigation of potential violations thereof;
- to detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, or protect the operations or you;
- to protect our rights, property or safety as well as yours, the public, or others;
- in connection with an acquisition, merger, change in control, debt financing, reorganization, sales of assets, bankruptcy or other change of our corporate structure or status; or
- as necessary in connection with the performance of requested services or solutions, or as otherwise appropriate in connection with a legitimate need.
How we store and secure your information
Information Security
We are committed to protecting the confidentiality, integrity, availability and privacy of your Personal Information. We have put appropriate physical, technological and procedural security measures in place designed to help prevent your Personal Information from being lost, used, modified or accessed in an unauthorized way, or improperly disclosed. Examples of such measures include restricted access to offices, training of personnel, using passwords and well-defined internal policies and practices. We also use encryption technology and Secure Socket Layers ("SSL") in all areas of the Website where your personal account information is required.
In addition, we limit access to your Personal Information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need-to-know. They will be required to process your Personal Information only on our instructions and they are subject to an obligation of confidentiality. Our service providers are required to maintain adequate security protections in place designed to help safeguard your Personal Information and are not permitted to use it for any purpose other than fulfilling services to us.
If you have any questions about securing your personal data, please contact us in accordance with the “How to Contact Us” section below.
Information Retention
We will retain your Personal Information for as long as it is needed:
- to provide the products and services that you have requested;
- to communicate with you about a purchase or a request you have made to us;
- to manage your choices and rights you have exercised pursuant to this Privacy Policy;
- to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations and to demonstrate compliance,
- to resolve disputes and to enforce our rights and agreements.
We may retain non-personal information that has been sufficiently aggregated or anonymized for a longer period.
Once the retention period is over, we will dispose of your Personal Information as provided for in our internal data retention and disposal policy.
Where We Store Information
We use facilities operated by "Amazon Web Services" and located in Canada as our information storage and processing infrastructure. Our service providers can also, from time to time, store your Personal Information in accordance with purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy.
How to contact us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, you can contact us at (204) 421-9429.