The Terrible Moment You Were Diagnosed With Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the world, so of course, your were terrified.
Most young people assume they will remain healthy for life.
They somehow think that going to the gym is all they need. So, they don’t pay attention to other ways that are needed to stay healthy as they age and end up getting diagnosis after diagnosis.
But, once you hit 40, you become susceptible to glaucoma.
Glaucoma is caused by the excessive pressure in the eyeball which leads to the deterioration of your optic nerve which connects to your brain.
Excessive pressure means that too much fluid enters the eye or too little fluid drains from the eye.
What are some possible causes of glaucoma?
Genetics
An eye injury
Your lifestyle
Long-term use of Viagra
High cholesterol
High saturated fat intake
High blood pressure
What are medical treatments for glaucoma?
Most treatments are eye drops or oral medications intended to lower the intraocular pressure. Unfortunately, there are often side effects to the medicines.
What are some natural treatments for glaucoma?
Eat lots of green, leafy vegetables.
The nitric oxide that is boosted by vegetable consumption reduces the overproduction of the aqueous humor (the fluid that fills and inflates the eyeball) and helps to balance pressure in the eyeball.
Nitrate intake (mostly from green leafy vegetables) was associated with significantly lower risk of developing glaucoma, according to the Harvard Nurses’ study.
The top ten common food sources of nitrates are:
Argula
Rhubarb
Cilantro
Butter Leaf Lettuce
Spring greens
Basil
Beet Greens
Oak Leaf Lettuce
Swiss Chard
Beets
Americans are advised to eat at least 10 servings/day of fruits and vegetables, two from each color category.
Greens are the healthiest vegetables.
People randomized to eat a green leafy salad with arugula and spinach lowered their blood pressures within hours, compared to eating a greens-free salad of cucumber, green beans, and cherry tomatoes.
You could drink 19 quarts/day of V-8 juice to get the same amount of nitrates.
Berries are nearly as healthy as green leafy vegetables.
The purple/red/blue category contains blueberries, black currants, tart cherries, plums, pomegranates, red grapes, black grapes, red onions, blue potatoes, red cabbage, hibiscus tea, and black rice.
Japanese researchers have shown that black currant pigments can slow down glaucoma vision loss by causing an increase in ocular blood flow, but no change was found in intraocular pressure.
Other natural treatments
Get aerobic exercise daily, which can include walking, running or cycling.
Bungee jumping, scuba diving or head-down yoga positions can be harmful.
Practice caloric restriction by limiting what you eat because this slows the aging process. In animal experiments, it was shown that slowing aging was accompanied by resistance to a range of age-related diseases, including glaucoma.
One of the ways caloric restriction may extend the lifespan of animals is by slowing their metabolism. Thanks to the nitrates in green leafy vegetables, we may be able to achieve a similar metabolic benefit by eating a big salad every day.
