If you’d like to keep your eyes healthy and your vision strong, here’s something you need to know.
Researchers recently discovered that your eyes can be damaged by a common mineral. This mineral is recommended by many doctors and so-called experts. And it’s found in most multivitamins.
But taking too much can harm your eyes – and even lead to blindness!
Fortunately, there are 4 easy things you can do to protect your eyes.
The mineral I’m talking about is iron. While the body needs iron, having too much can cause just as many problems as not having enough. This is particularly true for your eyes.
According to this recent study, too much iron causes oxidative stress on the cells in your eye. Oxidative stress is like rust on metal.
This damage and the swelling it causes eventually kill the retinal cells. The more it accumulates, the worse your eyesight becomes. The researchers said iron toxicity can eventually lead to blindness.
So here’s what you should do to protect your eyes.
Ask your doctor to do an annual blood test for iron. If you have too much, do these 4 things:
First, stop taking any supplements that contain iron. This includes many multivitamins you can buy at your local drugstore. Check the label before you buy any supplement.
Second, take milk thistle. This popular herb contains silybin, which blocks iron absorption. So take it with foods that contain iron, such as red meat, shellfish, and spinach. You can buy milk thistle tablets online and at most health food stores. Take 500-1,000 mg daily.
Third, drink green tea. Multiple studies have shown that green tea slowly removes iron from the body. You can drink several cups a day or take green tea extract supplements (300-800 mg daily).
The final way to remove iron is to donate blood regularly. Removing red blood cells will reduce the amount of iron in your body.
When you make an appointment to donate, see if the Red Cross offers Power Red. This is a way to remove twice as much iron as a regular donation. A special machine takes your blood and separates the red blood cells from the plasma. It puts the plasma back in your body (so you won’t get dizzy after donating). And it removes twice as many red blood cells – and twice as much iron.
So if your iron levels tend to run high, consider donating blood. You might save your eyesight and someone else’s life at the same time.
Sources:
Jayakrishna, Ambati, et al. “Iron Toxicity in the Retina Requires Alu RNA and the NLRP3 Inflammasome.” Cell Reports, June 2015, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.05.023.
https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-blog/2016/march/too-much-too-little-the-goldil