Is the food you eat hurting your eyes?

We hope it is common knowledge that many of the processed foods we find in the interior aisles of grocery stores – chips, cream-filled cakes and cookies, rows and rows of snack foods and candy bars – are simply not good for humans to regularly ingest, even in small quantities. Such “food-like substances” do not nourish us or support good health like the “whole” or “real foods” most often found in fresh produce departments around the perimeter of a store,

But most of us assume that unhealthy weight gain is the reason to steer clear of highly-processed, packaged foods. But that’s just the tip of the proverbial ice berg. Researchers now link the increased risk of eye disease to overindulgence of junk food, especially those containing vegetable, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats, along with lineolic acid.

So even if you’ve had excellent eyesight your entire life, or even if you’ve had successful LASIK vision correction surgery in the past, if you eat an unhealthy diet, your eyesight could be at risk, along with a slimmer waistline. Eye health and junk food is not usually an association we readily make, but the facts can’t be ignored.

A study by the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary found that too much junk food in the diet increases the risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which causes central vision loss that can lead to blindness. In contrast, eating two or more servings weekly of foods high in omega-3 fatty acid, such as albacore tuna and salmon may actually lower the risk. Not surprisingly, increasing your intake of leafy green vegetables and not smoking also supports eye health. It makes sense – your precious eyes are an integral part of your body. Good nutrition for the body is generally good for the eyes, too.

It’s something to pay attention to, especially if you are considering making a lifetime investment in your eye health with LASIK vision correction. Why sabotage great vision with an unhealthy diet? Limit your intake of junk food and adopt a healthy diet to not only protect your waistline but also your vision.

Find out more about your current eye health with a comprehensive eye exam at Rochester Eye and Laser Center.. Schedule your exam now by calling 585-232-2560. And learn more about improving your vision by taking our free online LASIK Self-Evaluation, as well as a Free LASIK Consultation with an expert, our founder and surgeon, Dr. Kenneth Lindahl.. Your vision is too important to put at risk!