In recent years, Americans have been developing more vision disorders and conditions. A lot of these conditions are diet-related, meaning that you can naturally improve your vision or help prevent the development of these conditions/disorders. In fact, there is increasing evidence that proper nutrition is strongly linked to better eye health.
What Foods To Eat?
You have to do more than eat fruits and veggies that promote eye health. You can’t eat these vegetables and continue eating unhealthy foods. The foods that promote healthier eyes won’t have a beneficial effect if you eat dairy products, processed foods, meats, meat products, junk foods, and refined sugars. The body won’t be able to properly absorb the nutrients because it will be trying too hard to process the other junk.
What you need to eat is collard greens. We aren’t talking about collard greens that are cooked with bacon fat. We are talking about either blending collard greens in smoothies, lightly sautéing them in a little olive oil, or using the leaves as a wrap while you are cleansing. They have amazing nutrients, such as magnesium, vitamins A, B, C & K, iron, calcium, folate, and potassium.
Eye Health
One cup of sautéed collard greens contains about 771 micrograms of vitamin A, which exceeds the recommended daily amount for women; the average female requires 700 micrograms and the average male requires 900 micrograms. In addition to benefiting your eyes, vitamin A is beneficial for healthy skin, teeth, and mucus membranes. Collar greens also contain lutein, which has been known to decrease the risk of macular degeneration. This nutrient helps to filter out U.V. rays, so it is almost like a natural pair of sunglasses.
Folate
A lot of people take folic acid, but getting the natural source of folate is much better. Folate helps with the production of new cells! Collard greens are rich in folate (177 micrograms per cup), which helps to support a healthy nervous system and can even reduce the risk of some birth defects. According the CDC, folate can also reduce the risk of heart defects and cleft lip.
If you need a little inspiration for how use collard greens in a healthier way, try making the following recipes.
Collard Wraps With Avocado & Sunflower Seed Paste
You’ll be saying , “That’s a wrap” when you make this simple recipe. And that was terrible. When you make the sunflower seed paste, feel free to add your favorite spices to make it more interesting. You can use a little olive oil, chili powder, paprika, sea salt, pepper, and a little garlic to make it taste like chicken/tuna salad.
Click here to make the recipe.
Tomato Hummus Collard Wraps
You won’t even miss the bread with these clean and healthy collard wraps. Full of flavor and packed with nutrient-rich vegetables, these wraps make the perfect lunch.
Click here to make the recipe.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.