Get Our Latest Updates
Alpro Group Head Office & Distribution Centre
Unit V1-A, Lot 45880, Jalan Techvalley 3/2, Sendayan Techvalley, 71950 Bandar Sri Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan.
health
Anti-Inflammatory Diets For Eyes Health In Elderly
By Alpro Pharmacy
June 26, 2024
SHARE:
What is/are common eyes problem happened when we reach senior citizen ages 60 years and above:
According to American Optometric Association,
- Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), supported by Ministry of Health Malaysia mentioned that it affects about 30 to 50 billion elderly globally.
- Cataracts
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Dry eyes
- Glaucoma
- Retinal Detachment
AMD is a multifactorial disease. It is happened due to age, genetic susceptibility, excessive sunlight exposure, smoking and poor nutritional status. AMD affects macula (central vision of the eyes) causing blurry vision and major factor of blindness. As we get older, unhealthy changes of macula without any rigid causes leads to difficulty in reading and recognizing faces or object. Macula hold eye pigment which is Lutein to focus light in the eyes.
What is Lutein and the importances?
Lutein is a yellow pigment that made up entirely macula. Macula lutea is placed in central and posterior of retina and possess the highest concentrations of photoreceptor. Lutein is responsible to be as photoprotective agent which protect effectively from excessive blue light where it leads to damaging the photoreceptors.
Lutein belongs to Xanthophyll family, carotenoids that riches in leafy green vegetables. Concentrated diet with lutein (6-20mg/day) and other antioxidants such as zeaxanthin helps to reduce risk of ocular diseases such as cataracts and AMD.
However, elderly seem to face challenges to meet the requirements from the diet such as food accessibility, swallowing, chewing and limitation in food preparation. Thus, food modification is important in order to improve their diet intake.
Food Modification For Elderly
There are several ways to modify diet for elderly as guided by ESPEN 2019:
- Food fortification such as fortified vitamins D cereal
- Additional healthy snacking like fruits, yogurt
- Blenderized/ soft diet to incorporate energy, protein, fat and fiber as complete and balance meal.
- Flavor enhancement for example to add herbs and spices in food
- Introduce Oral Nutrition Support (complete and balanced with vitamins & minerals)
- Increasing variety of foods in diet
How to obtain enough nutrient of Lutein and other anti-inflammatory vitamins to reduces risk of AMD?
- Food rich in Lutein ( Kale, spinach, Corn) – 10mg/day
- Zeaxanthin (green peas, broccoli, green beans, eggs) – 2mg/day
- Omega 3 food (Tuna, salmon, scallops) – 350mg DHA, 650EPA
- Vitamin C (Oranges, citrus fruits) – 500mg/day
- Vitamin E ( Nuts, fortified cereals, sweet potatoes) – 400mg/day
- Zinc ( Red meat, milk) – 25mg/day
Intriguing diets to transform eyes health
Asian Scallop Salad
o Palm size breast chicken
o I cup of cooked kale
o 4 scallops
o 1 whole orange/lemon
o 1 handful of cashew nuts
o 1 glass of milk
Instructions:
Cook Chicken and Scallops:
- Season chicken and scallops with salt and pepper.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook chicken until browned and cooked through (5-7 minutes). Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, sear scallops for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Toast Cashews:
- In a dry skillet, toast cashew nuts over medium heat until golden and fragrant. Set aside.
Prepare Dressing:
- In a small bowl, mix orange or lemon juice, zest, and milk. Season with salt and pepper.
Assemble Salad:
- In a large bowl, combine cooked kale, chicken, and toasted cashews. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine.
Top and Serve:
- Top with seared scallops and serve immediately.
Need More Information? Talk to Our Expert!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Alpro ePharmacy or visit the nearest Alpro Pharmacy. Our team, consisting of pharmacists, doctors, physiotherapists, nutritionists, audiologists and dietitians, is ready to assist and provide support.
