The back of the eye is lined with a sensitive layer of tissue called the retina. One area of the retina, called the macula, controls central vision, used for reading, watching television and face recognition. Doctors diagnose a person with macular degeneration if abnormal vessels grow under the macula and leak or if the cells in the macula break down, explains the National Eye Institute. In most cases, a person will experience irreversible vision changes. The nutrients in dark green, leafy vegetables may help prevent changes in the macula, and this may offer one of the best opportunities to keep good vision.
Step 1
Discuss diet changes with a health practitioner. A diet rich in dark green, leafy vegetables may not work for some people, and a health practitioner familiar with all of the patient's medications, supplements and overall health can best determine if the diet change will cause complications or interactions with health issues.
Step 2
Choose from a variety of leafy green vegetables. Spinach, kale, collard greens and chard make good choices. Use them in salads, steam them or add them to soups and other dishes. Simply adding leafy greens three times a week offers good prevention, says Dr. Chris Knobbe of All About Vision.
Step 3
Eat the same amount of leafy greens each day. If taking blood thinners, the vitamin K in many leafy greens will have a blood-thinning effect, intensifying the effects of coumadin and other blood thinners, explains the National Institutes of Health. Inform the doctor in charge of care that the patient will eat the same amount each day, and the doctor may need to adjust medications accordingly.
