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See Better Longer

By Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

Toss together a salad with turkey, walnuts, avocados and red bell peppers, and you may be able to appreciate how vibrant it looks for a l-o-n-g time to come.

Diets that contain healthy amounts of the omega-3 fat DHA (600 mg a day), vitamins C and E, beta carotene and zinc -- things this salad is full of -- are linked to a 35 percent drop in the top cause of blindness after 55: age-related macular degeneration. There are actually two kinds of AMD: wet and dry. The DHA helps prevent the dry form from even getting started; the salad's vitamin-mineral mix keeps the wet type from getting worse.

The macula -- the center of the retina -- is the busiest part of the eye. Its light-processing system is what allows you to do fine work like removing a splinter, sewing the nose on a stuffed bear or reading this vital tip (send it to others, that's an order!). But in AMD, the macula deteriorates. Irreparably. Smoking, high blood pressure and skimping on healthy omega-3 fats (especially DHA) up the threat. Loading up on veggies, poultry and some seafood, or taking DHA supplements from algae (where fish get it), ward it off.

Specifically, fill your daily meals with:

red bell peppers, citrus and strawberries for vitamin C

avocados, fish or algae supplements for DHA

turkey, chicken and fortified cereals for zinc

walnuts, almonds and other nuts for E (add a supplement too; getting lots of E without getting lots of calories is tough)

sweet potatoes, bell peppers and peaches for beta carotene

Next, bolster these with two other sight-saving nutrients: lutein (spinach, peas, green bell peppers) and xeaxanthin (corn, spinach, orange bell peppers, tangerines).

Finally, don't light up. Smokers quadruple their risk of blindness. Not sure where to start? Go to our YOU Can Quit program on RealAge.com -- we've had amazing success with it.

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The YOU Docs -- Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz -- are authors of the best-selling "YOU: The Owner's Manual" and "YOU: On a Diet." To submit questions and find ways to grow younger and healthier, go to www.RealAge.com, the docs' online home. (c) 2008 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

This news arrived on: 05/14/2008

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