As a mother and register dietitian, I am always looking for ways to help other moms/families feed their families healthy foods with ease and enjoyment. I love finding foods with significant health benefits and avocados is one of those foods = delicious, versatile and nutritious! Since my kids were little, I have taken great precautions to keep their eyes/vision healthy for the long term. Wearing sunglasses and hats is no luxury but a necessity. Today I am really excited to share that one of our favorite foods has health benefits for our eyes. In this Q & A we will explore the benefits of eating fresh avocados and the value of incorporating the nutrient lutein into our diets.
Q: What is Lutein?
A: Lutein is a naturally occurring antioxidant found in some vegetables and fruits, including fresh avocados. Studies have shown that starting in childhood and across the lifespan, a healthy level of this vitamin in the eye is related to better visual health
Q: How does eating foods rich in lutein support healthy eyes?
A: Lutein accumulates in the retina (the thin layer of nerves that lines the back of your eye), beginning in the womb and throughout life. Researchers have found that throughout your life, lutein helps protect the eye from the damage caused by the sun. This nutrient, which naturally occurs in some vegetables and fruits, like avocado, offers value for the whole family from the kids to our aging parents.
Q: Are Hispanics more at risk for vision impairment?
A: Hispanics have some of the highest rates of vision loss and blindness due to eye disease (according to the National Institutes of Health). 1 As a registered dietitian, mom, wife and caregiver to aging family members, I find this emerging research very exciting. It is important that we all stay educated on how the nutrients in the foods we eat can have a positive effect on eye health across the lifespan.
Q: Are there potential cognitive benefits? First, let’s define cognitive health.
A: Cognitive health refers to the health of the brain. This covers how well our memory, judgement, attention span, language and reasoning skills are working. It all connects to our ability to learn.
So, interestingly, lutein also deposits in the brain and is found in higher concentrations in infant brains than in the brains of the elderly2. This insight got investigators curious and led them to hypothesize that lutein levels may be associated with the early development of memory, attention and reasoning abilities and the lessening function of these learning skills later in life.
In a clinical study of 40 healthy older adults, researchers found that people who consumed one avocado per day for six months had higher blood and eye lutein levels relative to baseline. The avocado group also had improvements in cognition as measured by improvement in working memory. Additionally, as macular pigment density increased, working memory and efficiency of approaching a problem also improved. The study was funded by the Hass Avocado Board. Although conclusions drawn from a single study cannot be generalized to all populations, the study suggests a dietary intervention with avocados to increase neural lutein may be an effective dietary strategy for cognitive health.
The potential benefits of lutein in your diet are being studied for every age group. Emerging research like this is one of the many reasons why I try to incorporate fresh avocado into my family’s meals daily.
Q: What foods are good sources of lutein?
A: Lutein occurs naturally in certain vegetables and fruits, including fresh avocados. A serving of avocado contains 136 micrograms of lutein. Other delicious options are green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, broccoli, peas and lettuce and egg yolks.
Q: What’s the daily dietary recommendation for lutein intake?
A: Curently, there is no official dietary guidance recommending a particular level of lutein in your daily diet (no Dietary Reference Intake (DRI)). Further study is needed to better understand the potential effects of dietary intakes of lutein on brain and eye health. However, in my health professional community, we are excited about the promising benefits from lutein we see at every age. It is definitely something to keep watching and thinking about.
Q: What are other important nutritional benefits of avocado across the lifespan/for every age?
A:
- Avocados are a versatile, healthy fresh fruit option. One-serving of an avocado (about 1/3) contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals. The good nutrition from fresh avocados can promote overall healthy growth and development for the whole family across our whole lives (from inside the womb to healthy aging)!
- Good Source of Folate: Folate is important for proper brain function. It is recommended that pregnant women consume adequate folate/folic acid as it may reduce the risk for premature births and birth defects. Healthy avocados are a good source of folate.
- Good Source of Fiber: Diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as some vegetables and frutis, may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Healthy avocados are a good source of fiber.
- Naturally Good
Fats:
- Replacing bad fats for good fats like those found in fresh avocados is associated with lowering bad cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Good fats are known to be important for normal growth and development of the central nervous system and brain
Q: Where can we find more information about avocados and the benefits of lutein?
A: For more information about lutein and the effects on eye health across the lifespan, click here or simply visit: saboreaunohoy.com/lutein
I only endorse foods I love! All opinions expressed are my own. I received compensation to write this post in partnership with Aguacates Frescos- Saborea Uno Hoy.
References:
1National Institutes of Health, https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/eye-health-among-hispanicslatinos
