Eating your way to a healthy macula

What is the macula? The macula is part of the retina at the back of the eye. This 5mm concentration of photoreceptor cells is responsible for all of our central vision, most of our colour vision and

the fine detail of what we see. It’s job is to detect light and send signals to the brain, which them interprets those signals as images! The human body is incredible, right?

What is Macular Degeneration (the very basics)? Essentially, Macular Degeneration is a disease that affects a special layer of cells in the eye that sit underneath your retina, specifically targeting the macula and breaking it down. It is the leading cause of severe, permanent vision loss in people over the age of 60 and because the disease often develops as you get older, it’s usually called age-related macular degeneration (or AMD). If you have a family history of Macular Degeneration or you are worried that your vision is deteriorating, book and appointment to see your optometrist.

How can food help?

Your macula contains something called carotenoids—red and yellow pigments that protect the cells necessary for vision. Eating vegetables that contain carotenoids can help to boost the amount of protective pigment around your macula, keep it healthy and potentially slow the development of AMD. As you peruse the isles of the supermarket, track down some dark leafy green veggies like kale, spinach and broccoli. If you want to add a little more colour to your basket, add in some red capsicum, corn and sweet potato.

Fish, fish oil, fresh fruit and nuts are also macula-friendly foods and we have found a few easy recipes that you may like to try out yourself! Luckily, it turns out that foods good for macula health also happen to be good for our waistlines too. Almond Crusted Salmon: Click HERE to see the recipe we are loving. Try serving your salmon up with a sweet potato mash, sautéed kale or even a yummy spinach leaf salad. Followed up with a fresh fruit salad for dessert, you are well on your way to a healthy macula!

What to do if you are worried...

If you ever have any concerns about your vision, get in touch with us to book an appointment. There are many, painless tests we can perform that are designed to assess the health of your macula, as well as your eye in general. Your optometrist will have all the information and resources that you need if you require any further treatment. At the end of the day, we are here to help and support you! You can click HERE to be directed to our online booking page, call us on 07 3447 0447 or come by the store to have a chat with the team.