- Help patients keep their eyes on the ball—and safe from injury
- How to avert an eye care crisis
- Case study: Avoid blurring line between clinical practice and research in optometry
- As technology turns, sports vision optometrist pivots
- Vision-friendly holiday gifts for children
- What you say versus what they hear: Talking contact lenses
- Identify signs of abuse
- excercise may prevent eye diseases
- Tips for an eye-healthy Thanksgiving feast
- protecting patients eye summer
- Lutein zeaxanthin reaffirmed over beta-carotene in AREDS2
- Diabetes Alert Day
- Day of unplugging
- 2021 Telehealth Summit
- Performance evaluation
- wearing contacts safely during COVID-19
- Recharging the retina
- Vitamin A good for the eyes
- Children device use and Myopia
- Physical distancing masks and eye protection
- COVID-19 infection control refresher
- doctor google online symptom checkers
- COVID-19 digital eyestrain
- The many benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
- Spring Break Healthy Contact Lens Hygiene
- CPR Certification Heart Month
- healthy makeup habits
- checking blood pressure
- healthy eyes recipe-eye-friendly nutrients
- best holiday gifts for childrens vision development
- winter weather tips
- Great American Smokeout
- 5 things to ask your older patients about driving
- eating for your eyes
- Vision therapy reading scores
- secondhand smoke could harm childrens eyes
- AOA resources can help patients see with less daylight
- dark chocolate does not improve eyesight
- Teenager loses vision after a steady diet of French fries
- Systolic versus diastolic readings blood pressure
- Increase fitting success with better communication
- Contact Lens Health Week
- Mixing systemic and ocular pediatric medications
- The wonderful healing properties of amniotic membranes
- Optometry and social work
- Smoking and Eye Health
- Novel contact lens design tracks IOP for continuous 24-hour period
- Blue-light hype or much ado about nothing
- Help Patients summer swimming
- Toys and games nice and naughty for vision development
- 21st-century optometric care
- Flu views Should you get a flu shot
- Vision is key to aging gracefully new study says
- How optometry can prevent serious harm from falls
- Help patients see the light when driving at night
- Nascent AI technology mixed results
- Helping aging Americans see the future
- Hand Eye Coordination and Batting
- Some ophthalmic drugs inadvisable for breastfeeding patients
- clinician-patient relationship affects outcomes
- Does better coordination equal better performance
- Soccer team rescued from Thailand cave could face temporary vision struggles
- Mediterranean diet
- Summer Camp
- Pool of knowledge Educate public on swimming and eye safety
- Gene-editing technology worth keeping an eye on
- When cancer Rxs affect ocular Dxs
- The Pharmacology of Allergies
- Ocular Inserts
- Exercise good judgment regarding glaucoma
- Google Drops
- Reading Proficiency and Eye Exams
- AOA survey Vision a winner for Olympians top skill
- Video-game vision therapy
- Olympics pique interest in winter eye care for athletes
- prevent eye-related injuries from sports and recreation
- Interventions in adulthood can improve binocular disorders
- Amber-tinted lenses & Blue Light
- All eyes on dry eye
- Potential new antimicrobial ingredient for multipurpose disinfectant solutions
- AOA releases new evidence based guideline for pediatric eye care
- help stub out smoking
- Spring has sprung Help patients manage allergies
- Contact considerations choosing the right lens
- Kids prolonged smartphone use could trigger dry eye
- Doctors of optometry dedicate decades to lowvision care and research
- New study provides insight into paths of child vision development
- Super QB sees vision training perks
- New research designed to open eyes on space travel
- Vision training could mitigate soccer related concussions
- Doctors of optometry should play role in clearing children
- Need gift ideas for the kids
- PPOD program a success story for optometry
- Baby its cold and contagious outside
- Help patients adjust to dwindling sunlight
- No playing around iPads over patching
- As temperatures rise so does awareness of Zika virus
- Doctors of optometry can help patients stop smoking
- Study helps lay foundation
- Nutritional balancing act
- Genetic testing and nutritional supplements
- Corneal crosslinking offers adolescents options
- Night lights illuminating roadways and sidewalks
- Swindles cons and scams
- Pigment on the surface of lenses poses risks
- Researchers take a fresh look at eye drops
- 4 tips to help patients eat for healthy vision
- Uncorrected vision problems childhood literacy deficits linked
- 6 nutrition questions you should be asking patients
- 5 tips for multifocal contact lens success
- Head games Football TBI and AOAs brain injury manual
- Head down yoga poses increase eye pressure in glaucoma patients
- Battling blue light
- New research addresses sports related concussions in kids
- With climate change prevention matters more than ever
- How to educate patients about UV protection this winter
- Study shows risk of falling remains after cataract surgery
- Help prevent the spreading of infectious diseases
- When spectacles pose a risk of injury
- Talk to patients about smoking habits
- Emphasize handwashing and other healthy habits for contact lens wearers
- Use AOAs new evidence based guideline to improve exams every day
- Smart contacts green lighted for human tests
- AOA brain injury manual addendum now available
- 4 ways to help patients manage allergies
- How to recommend the right supplements to patients
- How to discuss nutrition with patients
- Sweet treatment honey a possible dry eye therapy
- Industry announcement moves smart lenses closer to reality
- Spotlight returns on football concussions
- The benefits of blinking
- Could your morning coffee be good for your eyes
- Exercise Link to Retinal Disease
- What does a measles outbreak mean for optometrists
- Examining eye structure may help detect early-stage Alzheimers disease
- 4 patient questions about Google Glass
- Stem cells and the future of eye treatment
- Foam parties may cause eye irritation
- Counsel patients about cosmetic products and procedures
- Parents can steer infants to sustain attention
- First skin to eye stem cell transplant shows promise researchers say
- Novel high powered prisms to expand vision fields of patients with hemianopia
- How to best treat pregnant and breastfeeding patients
- No symptoms no need for regular eye exam Think again
- Treating the zebra patient
- Look for signs of depression anxiety in patients with diabetes and diabetes related eye disease
- Broccoli can deliver therapeutic benefits, study says
- FDA approves intraocular lens
- Patients share their perspectives understanding doctor of optometry talks
- Doctors of optometry carry the torch for athletes
- depression anxiety in patients with declining visual outcomes
- Doctors of optometry help Olympic shooters hit the target
- Hygiene key to warding off painful contact lens mishaps
- Parents can prevent ocular injuries from household chemicals to young children
- Low vision study quality of life
- Blink and youll miss it
- Occupational therapy eases depression in patients with age related macular degeneration
- Diets and eye health
- Blue light nemesis Green veggies carotenoids
- Children and Contact Lenses
- kids vision
- autismeyes
- mucin balls more of a menace than thought
- Study underscores optometrys role in improving aging patients quality of life
- Wildfires and Ocular Health
- When driving becomes dangerous
- Blinded by video games
- Blue Light and Kids Sleep
- Kids and Devices
- Diabetes patients perspective
- Vapor Study
- Tea Study
- National Sunglasses Day
- How to examine patients with special needs
Pumpkin picking for eye health
October 14, 2019
According to the CDC, most Americans don’t eat the daily recommended amounts of fruit.
Pumpkins are not only good for carving and baking pies, but they're also good for your eyes.
Pumpkin, a carotenoid, is rich in nutrients linked to eye and overall health, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. Five years ago, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranked "powerhouse fruits and vegetables" based on nutrient density scores, pumpkin came in No. 20 out of 41-below broccoli but ahead of Brussels sprouts. (Watercress ranked No. 1.)
Consuming these superfoods is "strongly associated" with reducing risks for chronic diseases. This fall, with pumpkins plentiful in decoration and dessert, provides an opening for doctors of optometry to talk to patients about nutrition and eye health.
"Pumpkin, that fall favorite fruit, contains vitamins A, C and E, zinc, fiber, lutein and zeaxanthin-which are all beneficial to the eyes," says Georgia Air National Guard Lt. Col. Jennifer Carver, O.D. Dr. Carver, who also has a culinary and baking/pastry degree, often speaks to her patients about basic nutrition.
Adds Matthew Houck, O.D., who practices in Iowa City, Iowa: "I really do stress the importance of nutrition through natural food sources with my patients, especially those diagnosed with certain eye conditions. I think it is an important topic to bring up with patients, as vitamin supplements have exploded into our markets. Vitamin supplements are great, but they do not replace good nutrition."
According to the CDC, 4 in 10 children and fewer than 1 in 7 adults eat the daily recommended amounts of fruit.
Benefits of healthy food for vision
The groundbreaking Age-Related Eye Disease studies (AREDS), sponsored by the National Eye Institute, solidified the link between eye health and nutrition. The study showed that individuals at high risk for AMD could slow the progression of advanced AMD by about 25% and visual acuity loss by 19% by getting 40-80 mg/day of zinc, along with certain antioxidants.
Other studies have also shown that nutrients, either through food or vitamin supplements, can help preserve vision. They include:
- Lutein and zeaxanthin, found in green, leafy vegetables, reduce the risk of AMD and cataracts.
- Vitamin E, an antioxidant found in nuts, cereals and sweet potatoes, protects cells in the eye from damage from free radicals.
- Vitamin C, found in fruits and vegetables, lowers the risk for cataracts and slows the progression of AMD.
- Zinc, an essential trace mineral in red meat, seafood and chicken, is concentrated in the retina and choroid. Poor night vision and cataracts have been linked to zinc deficiency in the body.
Nutrition is important in eye health, but there's no substitute for a regular, comprehensive eye examination with a doctor of optometry to help patients preserve their vision.
Picky about pumpkins
Not all pumpkins are created equal-some are better than others for cooking, says Dr. Houck, who appeared on the popular Fox television show, "Master Chef," for several weeks in 2018.
"Decorative pumpkins are slightly different than the more edible versions," he says. "Most grocery stores call the edible versions 'pie pumpkins,' which are much smaller than the ones we carve up with scary faces."
The fresher (canned pumpkin contains more sugar) the better, he adds.
"My favorite way to prepare pumpkin and winter squash is to roast it in the oven with some oil, salt and pepper until the edges begin to brown and the sweetness intensifies," Dr. Houck says. "Roasting really brings out the natural sweetness and makes pumpkin even more delicious."
AOA Marketplace offers a variety of educational materials that doctors can share with patients, including "Essential Nutrients Your Eyes Need," "Feast Your Eyes-Nutrition and Eye Health Booklet," and "Ocular Supplement Resources Fact Sheet."