November is Eyecare Month

• did you know?
  
• According to the Vision Council of America, numerous prescription and non-prescription medications may alter the quantity or quality of vision and even pose a threat to future eye health?
  
  These medications include:
  
  
• Cardiac drugs
• Oral contraceptives
• Anti-histamines
• Antibiotics

With regular eye exams, an optometrist can detect problems early and prescribe proper treatments to delay or prevent vision loss. One in three adults over age 4o has a vision problem and once in this age group. your risk for serious eye diseases dramatically increases.

Vision threatening conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts often have no warning symptoms yet usually can be detected by an eyecare specialist such as an optometrist.
What can you do for eye wellness?

• Wear 100% UV protected sunglasses.
• Eating dark leafy green vegetables and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
• Avoid prescription medications and antibiotics
• Supplement your dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin

Zeaxanthin is the key to protecting the macular pigment which defends the eye against oxidation. Recent research has determined that the pigment at the very center of the macula is over 70% zeaxanthin and 30% lutein. It is the zeaxanthin that holds the key to preserving central vision, because it provides the filtering pigment that protects the sensitive rod and cone cells of the macula.

Zeaxanthin can be very difficult to get into our diets. Most carotenoids have a higher ratio of lutein, often 10 to 15 times more than zeaxanthin. In 2002, Eurofins Scientific, an independent lab, tested dried Ningxia wolfberries for their carotenoid content. The results were stunning!

There were 278 micrograms of zeaxanthin and 2 micrograms of lutein per gram of wolfberries. This concentration of zeaxanthin was unheard of in natural foods. That amount is 17 times the zeaxanthin content of red peppers and 92 times that of raw spinach.
Weller P. Breithaupt DE, "Identification and quantification of zeaxanthin esters in plants using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry." J Agric. Food Chem., 2003 Nov.19;51 [24]:7044-9

Ningxia Red juice by Young Living Essential Oils is a convenient source of this vital nutrient in concentration. I drink at least an ounce each day and it tastes delicious! I love the fact that not only is it more nutrient rich than other "health" juices available, it can be ordered from the same company where I get my therapeutic grade essential oils! Young Living truly is a one-stop-shop for wellness.

This juice is available for purchase at my website. If you would like to learn more about the health benefits of the Ningxia wolfberry, please subscribe to my Ningxia Red newsletter.