Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Mike <mike.lists@mlxvi.org>]

I cannot recall where I read this, but it turns out the the studies linking beta carotene to mal-effects have been done on vitamin supplements. Food with beta-carotene produces the opposite. Something to do with everything else that you get in foods that are high in beta-carotene.

One more fail for nutritionalism. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?_r=3&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1170347751-8T9wQoUUFc4ooNUdc9ocVw&oref=slogin)


Mike

Kathy wrote:

Interesting article here. My sister has MD and her eye Dr. told her not to 
take any vitamins that have beta-carotene b/c it speeds it up. I asked her 
if she was sure that is what he said and she said I am positive. Makes no 
sense to me. Since we were little kids we have have known carrots oranges 
etc are good for eyes.

Kathy
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
To: <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2009 1:31 PM
Subject: [Livingontheland] Foods to fight vision loss


  

Foods to fight vision loss
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/2414460/Foods-to-fight-vision-loss


A new study suggests that older adults who eat diets rich in citrus 
fruits,
leafy greens and fish oil, but low in "glycemic index," may have a lower
risk of age-related macular degeneration - the leading cause of vision
loss.

AMD, also known as "age-related macular degeneration" refers to gradual
damage to the macula, a structure in the retina that allows for seeing 
fine
detail. The condition affects more than 1 million Americans, usually after
the age of 65.

A number of studies have suggested that individual nutrients, including 
the
antioxidants lutein, vitamin C and vitamin E, can help protect against 
AMD.

This latest study, published in the journal Ophthalmology, looked at the
overall diet patterns of 4,000 older adults and the links to AMD risk.

Researchers found that participants who tended to eat fish rich in

omega-3 fatty acids, or foods high in vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, lutein
and zeaxanthin, had a relatively lower risk of AMD. Lutein and zeaxanthin
are plant pigments that act as antioxidants; the nutrients are found in
broccoli, spinach and other leafy green vegetables, as well as egg yolks.

The study also found that diets containing foods with a low glycemic 
index,
also appeared protective against AMD.

Not surprisingly, older adults who combined all three dietary patterns
showed a decreased AMD risk as well.

Glycemic index (GI) refers to how rapidly a food causes blood sugar to
rise. High-GI foods, like white bread and potatoes, tend to spur a quick
elevation in blood sugar, while low-GI foods, such as lentils, soybeans,
yogurt and many high-fiber grains, create a more gradual increase in blood
sugar.

The blood-sugar surges associated with high-GI diets may eventually damage
the macula, explained lead researcher Dr. Chung-Jung Chiu, an assistant
professor at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.

That's because excess blood sugar interacts with other molecules, like 
fats
and proteins, to form what are called glycated molecules, he told Reuters
Health.

This process, in turn, can put the body under more oxidative stress, which
over time damages cells and may lead to various diseases, including AMD.

Foods rich in nutrients that may ward off AMD -- including citrus fruits,
leafy greens, oily fish like salmon and mackerel, and vegetable oils --  
are
also seen as beneficial for overall health. So it's a good idea to try to
eat more of them, Chiu said.

This is especially true for older adults, the researcher noted, since the
body's "self-defense systems" generally decline with age.

SOURCE: Ophthalmology, May 2009.



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