March 5, 2020 - EyeClarity Blog
Mitochondria are energy-producing protein organelles that live in every part of our bodies, especially in our retinas. The retina has one of the highest metabolic needs of the body, and the macula has the highest metabolic need of the retina. Because there are no blood vessels that run through the cornea, the lens, and the macula, they rely on indirect nutrient absorption, which makes them very susceptible to free radical damage or oxidative stress.
More and more, people are suffering from eye problems and are not being offered solutions other than surgery and pharmaceuticals. Sometimes, those are necessary, but I prefer to work from a proactively preventative standpoint so that people can understand what it takes to have excellent eye health, so when I bring up the mitochondria, it is so that people understand what’s happening on a cellular level in the eye. The mitochondria function to produce energy, and if they are not doing so, they begin to die. When less energy is being produced, the chances for oxidative stress, free radical damage, and metabolic waste start increasing. When the body reaches a breaking point where the cells cannot overcome the deterioration that’s happening, neurodegenerative diseases will start developing.
When trying to figure out how to reverse or slow down deterioration, we must first understand how to optimize our mitochondria. Things like eliminating gluten, dairy, and sugar are a place to start. Eating lots of bread and pasta increase inflammation in not only the eyes but the entire body. The mitochondria need healthy fats from things like avocados, coconut oil, and MCT oil. If you do eat seafood, wild sockeye salmon has astaxanthin, which is a very powerful antioxidant. Also, consider developing a relationship with colorful vegetables that contain phytonutrients. Interestingly enough, the parts of the vegetables that we often throw out, like the rind, the skin, and seeds are packed with antioxidants. Daily smoothies are an easy way to get these phytonutrients. I will often add any combination of things like ginger root, turmeric root, garlic, kale, spinach, carrots, beets, avocado seeds (which contain a lot of great phytonutrients for cardiovascular health), kiwis, grapefruit, vanilla, mocha powder, coconut meat, and coconut water.
Sulfur rich, cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, and brussels sprouts act as sticky flypaper that attracts free radicals and can help detox them from the body. Sulfur rich foods are also important for people who suffer from dry eye syndrome, cataracts, macular degeneration, and even glaucoma because they support the production of glutathione which is a potent antioxidant that mitochondria love.