Eating Pistachios Protects Your Eyes
Eating pistachios can improve your eye health and potentially protect against macular degeneration.
Lutein is an important antioxidant carotene that accumulates in the macula region of the retina where it, remarkably, as macular pigment, acts as a blue light filter that protects your eyes from light damage and oxidative damage. The result is improved visual function and protection from age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older age.
This study had 33 people who were between 40 and 70 eat a usual diet or the usual diet plus 2 oz (57g) of pistachios for 12 weeks.
By week 6, lutein concentrations had significantly increased. Paralleling that increase in lutein, there was a highly significant increase in macular pigment optical density.
Increased macular pigments is important because it has been associated with improved eye health and decreased risk of macular degeneration.
This study introduces the exciting possibility that simply enjoying pistachio nuts in your diet could help promote eye health and prevent macular degeneration.
The Journal of Nutrition. Oct 2024;doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.10.022.
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