Glaucoma is a condition which effects the eyes. Glaucoma can be quite serious and even result in blindness. The older you become, the more prone you are to developing glaucoma; patients suffering from glaucoma typically range from 45 to 64 years of age.
Glaucoma can strike without warning and not present itself with any symptoms.
There is no cure for glaucoma, so it’s important to take the necessary steps to prevent it. This can be done through nutrition and diet.
A diet filled with glaucoma nutrition can deter the onset of it, but in order to appreciate a glaucoma diet, you need to know what to enjoy and what to avoid.
Risk factors of glaucoma
Before we tell you foods to eat and foods to avoid for a glaucoma prevention diet, it’s important to recognize what puts you at a higher risk of developing glaucoma. Risk factors for glaucoma include:
- Age – as mentioned, glaucoma strikes individuals midway to later in life
- Elevated internal eye pressure
- Ethnicity – glaucoma is more common among African Americans and Asians
- Family history of glaucoma
- Medical conditions – diabetes, heart disease
- Other eye conditions – eye tumors, retinal detachment
- Long-term corticosteroid use
Natural remedies and glaucoma nutrition
Let us first begin by listing the different foods which will provide proper nutrition for glaucoma when added to your diet. These foods come packed with many essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, to help fight off free radical damage.
When you are putting together a diet for glaucoma prevention, you will want to consider foods high in phytonutrients, high in vitamins and foods with good fat (omegas and monounsaturated). Specific foods to add to your diet for glaucoma prevention are:
- Citrus fruits
- Berries
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Cantaloupe
- Wheat and grains
- Leafy greens
- Eggs
- Milk fat
- Butter
- Meat
- Nuts
- Organ meats
- Seafood
- Avocados
- Carrots
- Apricots
- Papaya
- Cheddar cheese
- Sweet potato
- Pumpkin
- Olives
- Cucumbers
- Corn
- Squash
Sticking with whole foods is the best form of prevention against glaucoma, as whole foods can provide the highest amount of the nutrients your eyes require.
Foods to avoid which can increase your risk of glaucoma include:
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Sugar
- Foods you are allergic to
These food items can make your body toxic and starve your eyes of the nutrients they require.
Although some risk factors for glaucoma can’t be avoided (age, ethnicity and family history), you can still improve your odds of developing glaucoma by eating the foods listed above and incorporating them into a glaucoma prevention diet.
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