Smoothie for Eye Health

Every day, I spend a significant amount of time looking at a computer screen!! The hours add up quickly since I use four different devices on most days. As a preventive care eye doctor, I began to wonder if I could eat better to offset potential damage to my eyes from all the screen time. The screens emit harmful blue light. Blue light has been shown to interfere with our circadian rhythms due to endocrine disruption. [1] The light has also been shown to contribute to Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD). [2]

So, I began a quest to support my eye health with food. The first thing I decided to do was make an eye-friendly smoothie. I preferred a smoothie rather than juicing, since the fiber in a smoothie nourishes good gut bacteria. [3] Furthermore, I knew there were key ingredients I should include in my eye smoothie. My smoothie needed to contain antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and carotenoids.

The antioxidants support the high metabolic rate of activity in cells of the eyes. The essential fatty acids support the neural activity in the eyes and brain. And the carotenoids replenish the pigment on the macula of the eye used during the process of seeing. I also wanted to increase nitric oxide production, which helps to improve blood circulation. So, I decided on several key ingredients: blueberries, spinach and kale are for lutein and vitamin C. As a double benefit, the greens also increase nitric oxide production. The kiwi fruit has been shown to improve sleep. [4] Mint leaves and lime essential oil give a refreshing taste to the smoothie.

This is my favorite afternoon pick-me-up smoothie:

Ingredients:

1 cup Cashew Milk

½ cup filtered water

½ cup Wild Blueberries

handful Baby Kale

handful Spinach

¼ Kiwi, peeled

1 Banana, peeled

½ t. Dried Mint leaves

5 drops Lime Food Grade essential oil

1 t. Matcha Green Tea powder

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.

You can learn more about eye health and nutrition by enrolling in the Maximize Your Vision Potential (https://www.udemy.com/course/maximize-your-vision-potential/) online course. Please share your favorite eye health smoothie by emailing it to diane@healthywithvision.org. (mailto:diane@healthywithvision.org)

References:

[1]: Blue light has a dark side – Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side. Accessed March 16, 2020.

[2]: Majdi M, Milani BY, Movahedan A, Wasielewski L, Djalilian AR. The role of ultraviolet radiation in the ocular system of mammals. Photonics. 2014;1(4):347-368. doi:10.3390/photonics1040347

[3]: Maslowski KM, MacKay CR. Diet, gut microbiota and immune responses. Nat Immunol. 2011;12(1):5-9. doi:10.1038/ni0111-5

[4]: Lin HH, Tsai PS, Fang SC, Liu JF. Effect of kiwifruit consumption on sleep quality in adults with sleep problems. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2011;20(2):169-174. doi:10.6133/apjcn.2011.20.2.05