When it comes to protecting your eyes, there are so many different foods you should incorporate into your diet. You’ll often hear people recommend eating carrots and leafy greens for vision health, but one that gets overlooked is eggs.
Eggs are loaded with critical antioxidants and nutrients that our eyes need to stay healthy and maintain good vision. While they often get a bad reputation for cholesterol levels, eggs do more good than harm to your body.
It’s time to get on the egg-bandwagon and watch your vision and eye health improve!
Eggs for Your Eyes – Macular Degeneration and Cataracts
The leading cause of blindness in America is macular degeneration – it affects nearly 10 million people each year. Your macula is responsible for ensuring you can see details accurately and can focus on whatever is in the center of your vision. Located near the back of your eyeball, the macula protects your eyes by filtering out harmful rays from the sun.
When the macula begins to degenerate, you will gradually lose your vision. Luckily, eggs contain some macula-saving super nutrients that can prevent or slow down macular degeneration.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants that specifically target your eyes and improve their function. For the macula to filter out intense rays, it needs a healthy amount of pigment creation. These antioxidants aid your macula in building pigment.
The second leading cause of blindness in America is the presence of cataracts in your eyes’ lenses. Damage from ultraviolet radiation, cigarette smoke, and aging, can cause your lenses to become blurry. Antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin slow down the damage from cataracts, prolonging your vision.
Why are eggs so great? Because they contain high concentrations of these antioxidants!
Should I Avoid the Yolk?
Many popular diets advise you to only eat egg whites and avoid the yolk. The main concern is that the yolk is where all the cholesterol is and too much cholesterol is bad for our health.
Here’s the thing about cholesterol: on average we should all try to limit out cholesterol intake to 300 mg or less per day. One egg yolk contains about 211 mg of cholesterol. So, you can eat one egg a day and never have an issue with your cholesterol levels if you monitor how much you get from your other meals.
The yolk is hugely beneficial for getting a wide array of nutrients that benefit your eyes. Vitamins A, B12, D, and minerals like calcium and potassium are found in the yolk. Not to mention lutein and zeaxanthin. Only eating egg whites may lower your cholesterol intake, but it also reduces your intake of important nutrients for vision health.
Plus, since the nutrients are submerged in the fat-based yolk, our bodies can absorb them easily. Although leafy greens are high in antioxidants as well, they are less easily absorbed in vegetables than from egg yolks.
Our Ocu-Plus Formula Contains All 17 of the Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbal Supplements to Improve Your Eye Health!
If you’re a vegan or a vegetarian who doesn’t eat eggs, rest assured there are options for you! There are multiple egg replacement options available at your local grocery store.
You can protect your eyes and maintain a vegetarian or vegan diet by replacing the meat sources you would normally get certain nutrients from. The antioxidants so important for eye health – lutein and zeaxanthin – can be found in squash, green beans, broccoli, and many other vegetables.
You can even buy a vegan egg substance that you can cook and bake in the same way as regular eggs. You can fry it in an omelet, bake muffins, and even make a quiche. However, it doesn’t contain the same amount of nutrients found naturally in eggs.
You can also take supplements, like our Ocu-Plus Formula, of these antioxidants and other nutrients. Eggs are an excellent source of nutrients for your eyes, so if you can’t eat eggs, make sure you replace them with other nutrient-rich options.
Recipe: The Best Quiche Lorraine You’ve Ever Had
Quiches are an awesome meal to get your daily egg intake in. You can cook them with so many different types of ingredients, it’s impossible not to find one you love.
Quiche Lorraine is a classic recipe and perfect for beginner chefs. Knowing how to make quiche Lorraine is the base to all other quiche recipes. This recipe, found on www.ricardocuisine.com, is an easy and delicious way to incorporate eggs into your meals. Eggs aren’t just for breakfast anymore!
- One and three-quarter cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
- Half a teaspoon of baking powder
- Half a cup of cold and cubed unsalted butter
- Six tablespoons of ice-cold water
- One egg
- Half a pound of bacon slices
- Six eggs
- One large onion, sliced thinly
- Two cups of full-fat cream
- One and a half cups of Gruyere cheese, grated
- Salt and Pepper
First, to make the crust, start by combining the flour and baking powder. It’s best to do this in a food processor. Add the butter, water, and one egg until the dough becomes less fluid and more solid.
Remove the dough and shape it into a circle.
Second, sprinkle some flour onto your counter or workspace. Place the dough on the floured area and use a rolling pin to flatten. Place the dough into a 10-inch quiche-dish, folding the excess pieces inwards. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. Then, place the dish in the refrigerator for thirty minutes.
Next, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
For the filling, heat a frying pan on the stove and begin frying the bacon. You want it to be browned but not overly crispy. Then, add the sliced onion to the bacon. Once the onion is soft and browned, drain the bacon fat from the pan. Set the pan aside to allow the bacon and onions to cool off.
Fourth, whisk together the remaining eggs and the cream. Once it’s smooth, add the bacon and onions. Then add the cheese. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Pour the filling into the crust and put it in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. A telltale sign that it’s done is when the surface starts to brown.
After you take it out, let it cool off for 10 minutes or so before you serve.