Diet, without a doubt, is directly linked to health maintenance. Therefore, food choices can bring benefits and harms in several aspects and in different cycles of people's lives. It is no different with eye health. Did you know, for example, that eggs improve vision? Check it out!

The benefits of eggs

Eggs are an excellent source of nutrients, because they contain protein of high biological value. Therefore they provide all the essential amino acids, besides vitamins (riboflavin, vitamin E, vitamin B6, vitamin A, folic acid, choline, vitamin K, vitamin D and vitamin B12), minerals (zinc, calcium, selenium, phosphorus and iron) and active compounds (lutein and zeaxanthin). Check out other benefits:

• It helps muscle development: this advantage is attributed to the high content of albumin a type of protein found mainly in egg white, which is highly bioavailable;
• Protects cardiovascular health: o omega-3 Similarly, choline, another substance found in the food, which belongs to the B complex of vitamins, helps to break down homocysteine, a component associated with cholesterol. heart conditions ;
• It helps control hunger: the reason are the proteins that guarantee a longer shelf life satiety after the meal;
• It improves memory and nervous system integrity: B-type vitamins, especially B12, act directly on the synapses of the nervous system, on the maintenance of neurons, and on DNA repair. pregnant women is an essential food, which acts in the formation of the baby's brain functions and nervous system.

Read also: Barbara Heck's Diet: Eating Disorder Suspected in BBB 22

Does eating eggs improve eyesight anyway?

According to Milena Cornacini, a clinical, sports and orthomolecular nutritionist, the benefits of this protein for eye health are due to the nutrients called carotenoids, such as lutein and zeaxanthin.This is why they are also called macular pigments.

"Macular pigments act as a filter that protects the macula by reducing the amount of short-wavelength light, as well as neutralizing reactive oxygen species released by both light damage and internal retinal metabolism," explains the nutritionist.

However, our body does not synthesize these pigments, so we need to obtain them through food or supplementation, and egg yolk is a powerful food source against cell degeneration and reduced visual acuity. This is because it even reduces the risks of eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts.

Give preference to boiled or fried eggs

According to Dr. Milena, there is currently not enough research to indicate an exact optimal level or amount of lutein and zeaxanthin intake to protect against eye diseases. However, studies already conducted indicate that the consumption of 1 to 4 eggs per day can promote and ensure eye health by increasing the levels of carotenoids in the blood and the optical density of the pigmentHowever, to enhance the beneficial effects of eggs, it is important to consider the dietary technique applied during processing and consumption.

According to the researches, among the three ways of preparation, scrambled eggs had lower levels of lutein and zeaxanthin than boiled or fried eggs, so that boiled eggs are still superior to fried eggs in relation to the levels of both compounds, with the advantage of not containing trans fats.

Finally, it is essential to seek guidance from a nutritionist to obtain a personalized prescription, targeting individual nutritional needs.

Egg improves vision and prevents cataracts

Cataract is the name given to any opacity of the lens, which does not necessarily affect vision. It is the largest cause of treatable blindness in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 45 million blind people in the world, of which 40% are due to cataract.

Cataracts can be classified into congenital, with early or late onset, and acquired cataracts, which include all other forms of the disease, including age-related cataracts. The main symptom of cataract is progressive decrease in vision, both near and far, which does not improve with proper refractive correction.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common vision-related diseases. The good news is that the evidence found so far suggests a significant association between lutein and zeaxanthin intake and reduced risk for AMD.advanced.

Source: Dr. Milena Cornacini, Clinical, Sports and Orthomolecular Nutritionist, Master and Doctor in Nutrition and Technical Consultant for Katayama Alimentos.