January 4, 2019 - Nutrition
Hey folks, it’s Dr. Sam I want to talk to you today about how extra virgin olive oil improves vision.
In 2016 the Food Research Foundation did a study on lutein-deficient mice and they fed them different oils and they found that extra virgin olive oil resulted in the highest amount of lutein absorbed in the eye. They also found in the study that extra virgin olive oil gave the highest absorption rate of lutein in the intestinal tract.
Why is this important? Well, lutein is a carotenoid that’s essential for protecting the macula, so it plays an important role in preventing and healing diseases like macular degeneration, glaucoma, or cataracts. This is due to its role in protecting against free radical damage and oxidative stress.
So the takeaway is to make sure you’re getting enough carotenoids in your diet, especially lutein and zeaxanthin, but make sure to use healthful fats – like extra virgin olive oil, MCT oil, and coconut oil, in place of vegetable oils other low-quality fats.