[Joe]

Last Updated: Monday, 25 September 2006, 23:15 GMT

Spinach 'may ward off blindness'

Quote:

Spinach, noted for making cartoon sailor Popeye strong, may also help to ward off a common cause of blindness.

A team at the University of Manchester believe eating the vegetable may protect the eyes from age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Their theory is based on the fact that spinach, and several other vegetables, contain lutein, a chemical which helps form a key protective eye pigment.

The Manchester team plan a study to test their theory.

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in western society, and is thought to affect up to 12% of men and 29% of women over the age of 75 in the UK.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5379590.stm

 

[Dirty Martini]

My grandmother's blind from Macular Degeneration, and they don't know if it's hereditary. scary.

Good thing I loooove spinach

ETA: I wonder if their study includes animal testing

 

[Lothar M Kirsch]

Other good sources for lutein are: maize, red grapes, pumpkin, kiwi, and a couple of others.

 

[Amy SF]

My eye doctor wrote a little list for me a few years ago because my mother has AMD. He wrote down spinach, blueberries, and green tea as good for warding off AMD.

 

[DLS]

Bilberry-Vaccinum myrtillus

common names: black whortleberry, blueberry, dyeberry etc. were eaten and drank as a tea by fighter pilots in England many years ago, beacuse they are supposed to improve vision, I wonder if Eagles and other birds of prey eat them as well. I do know of someone who treated their dog, who had been diagnosed with cataracts, with bilberrys, she said her vet was amazed at the improvment in her dogs eye condition. The power of mother natures remedies never cease to amaze me.

 

[Joe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lothar M Kirsch

Other good sources for lutein are: maize, red grapes, pumpkin, kiwi, and a couple of others.

Article says:

Quote:

Lutein is found in sweetcorn, kale and broccoli, as well as spinach.

 

[zoebird]

i eat so much broccoli. it's my favorite vegetable. favorite.

butm i can't wait for the raw spinach to be back on the market again here--e. coli contaminated spinach. hopefully, we'll get raw 'spin-spatch,' as i prefer to call it, soon

 

[Kill Uncle]

i love spinach and eat some 6 to 7 days a week.

 

[porvida]

Too bad I still can't find any spinach. If I go blind I'm suing.

 

[Lothar M Kirsch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amy SF

My eye doctor wrote a little list for me a few years ago because my mother has AMD. He wrote down spinach, blueberries, and green tea as good for warding off AMD.

I'm not sure, but I think with bluesberries it's another mode of action. It's the blue or violet/purple dye, which is also found in other berries like elderberries, black currant and so on. Do you know the source of your mother's ophthalmologist? Maybe we could research there.

 

[Joe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lothar M Kirsch

I'm not sure, but I think with bluesberries it's another mode of action. It's the blue or violet/purple dye, which is also found in other berries like elderberries, black currant and so on. Do you know the source of your mother's ophthalmologist? Maybe we could research there.

Some links:

http://www.luteininfo.com/

http://www.luteininfo.com/where

http://www.luteininfo.com/whereraw

http://www.luteininfo.com/wherefortified

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QA/QA59576/

http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/n...lut_0164.shtml

http://nutrition.about.com/od/phytoc...s/p/Lutein.htm

http://nutrition.about.com/od/health.../a/berries.htm

 

[~Wonder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoebird

i eat so much broccoli. it's my favorite vegetable. favorite.

I live for

I wish I were eating it right now.

~Wonder

 

[Lothar M Kirsch]

Hey, Joe, I'm on your side!

Blueberries are rich in lutein, too, so much the better.

But blueberries and others are also rich in anthocyanins:

http://www.seniornet.org/php/default.php?PageID=6046

"Blueberries are a particularly rich source of antioxidants called anthocyanins (also contained in apples, grapes, blackberries, radishes, and red cabbage). Several studies suggest anthocyanins discourage blood clots from forming, warding off heart attacks. They also appear to improve night vision and to slow macular degeneration by strengthening tiny blood vessels in the back of the eye."

Link: http://www.oregonblueberry.com/health.php

Besides: I love both spinach and brokkoli.