Diets for Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness among adults. The human eye is filled with a liquid called aqueous. Fresh aqueous carrying the nutrients the eye needs is continually pumped into the eye while depleted aqueous is drained away. To function the eye must remain within a certain range of pressures. In the case of glaucoma, the mechanism by which the aqueous drains away becomes blocked. The pressure within the eye builds. Eventually the optical nerve is damaged and vision loss occurs.

Smart dietary choices can help glaucoma patients slow the progression of the condition, helping to preserve their vision.

A Low-Glycemic Diet

• A number of factors contribute to glaucoma including age, family history and smoking. According to medical research published in the October 2009 issue of Eye, there is also a link between insulin resistance and higher intraocular pressure. The intraocular pressure is the internal pressure of the eye--if it gets too high, the optic nerve is damaged. The research shows that metabolic syndrome (a pre-diabetic condition) and other factors associated with insulin resistance lead to higher intraocular pressure.

  When you have glaucoma, controlling the pressure within your eye is key. This study shows that high blood sugar (a component of metabolic syndrome) and insulin resistance contribute to elevated pressure, so choosing a diet to control your blood sugar seems like a prudent step to help control your glaucoma.

  Choose low-glycemic foods. These are foods that don't convert quickly into glucose in the blood stream. Refined sugar and grains tend to be high glycemic foods. High fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables are better choices. Protein does not convert into glucose at all, but be careful to choose lean cuts of meat, so you don't consume too much fat.

A Diet Rich in Antioxidants

• Doctors believe that eating foods rich in antioxidants may help to protect the eye from glaucoma or help to slow its progress. Antioxidants protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that attack cells.

  Many common foods are rich in antioxidants. The basic rule of thumb is to eat lots of different brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Whole grains, seafood, eggs and lean meats also contain important antioxidants.

  Include a variety of fresh foods, lean meats and whole grains in your diet to get a full complement of antioxidants.

More Eggs and Fish

• In a study published in the peer-reviewed journal, Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids, scientists found that two particular forms of omega-3 essential fatty acid are often deficient in people with glaucoma. DHA and EPA omega-3s are most commonly found in seafood, but you can also increase your intake by choosing omega-3 eggs. These eggs come from chickens fed a special diet to increase the omega-3 content.