It can be hard to worry about avoiding specific diseases like glaucoma when your daily health regimens are daunting enough. The good news? Your body is a well-oiled machine, so if you’re doing good things for one part of your body, you’re probably doing good for all the rest, too!

Eye health is whole-body health, so today, we’re detailing a few things you probably knew are already good for you – but you might not have known as potential allies in reducing the risk of glaucoma

Before we dive in, a brief refresher: glaucoma is an ocular disease caused by high intraocular pressure (IOP), or pressure within your eye. Everything mentioned below has been found to be correlated with (though not necessarily to cause) reduced pressure in the blood veins that nourish your eye and, when inflamed, can cause glaucoma.

Daily Exercise

Recent studies suggest that exercise can help to alleviate some eye pressure, due to positive effects on overall blood pressure and circulation. Happily, no heavy weights or gym memberships are required for eye-healthy exercise. Studies show that you can lower your intraocular pressure, or IOP, by doing exercises that raise your pulse by only twenty percent. You can do that easily with a twenty-minute walk, four times a week. If the weather outside is frightful, simple indoor calisthenics or yoga can do the trick, too!

Keep in mind that there are some forms of glaucoma, such as pigmentary glaucoma, that exercises do not have a positive effect on. And in certain forms of glaucoma, vigorous exercise can actually cause an increase in IOP!

If you’re at risk for glaucoma, you may want to consult with your doctor to find the right balance of moderate exercise that will strengthen your eye health and not cause any damage.

Leafy Greens

You knew we were going to work salads into these recommendations, somehow. But not those boring iceberg specials – a twenty-five-year Harvard study1, concluded in 2016, indicated that dark-green leafy vegetables like spinach, chard, and kale helped reduce the risk of glaucoma by 20-30% if eaten regularly.

The link? Naturally-occurring nitrates, which the body converts to nitric oxide, which “is important for maintaining optimal blood flow, and possibly for keeping eye pressure low,” according to Dr. Jae Hee Kang, the lead author of the study. While there wasn’t direct proof linking those delicious greens to lower glaucoma risks, dark-green leafy vegetables have been strongly affiliated with other health benefits, like lower rates of inflammation, cancer, heart disease, and even macular degeneration. No official conclusion on carrots giving you x-ray vision, though.

A Nice Cup of (Hot) Tea

While scientists have only begun exploring the connections, there are indications that a cup of hot, caffeinated tea can help reduce the risks of glaucoma. A UCLA study2 found that adults who drank a hot cup of tea daily were 74% less likely to have glaucoma – indicated no similar decrease for those who drank cold or decaffeinated tea. Drinks of coffee also showed no similar reduction in likelihood for glaucoma. While experts were quick to note that it may be something about hot tea drinkers that reduced their risk for glaucoma – like reduced rates of stress – the study has prompted further research into the preventative powers of a good mug of tea. And in the meanwhile, your health might benefit from more antioxidants found in some varieties of green tea as well as a reduction in acidity compared to the other morning beverage, coffee.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

Health can be a complex puzzle, and it never hurts to have a little extra advice in assembling a healthy lifestyle that can reward you with good eyesight for years to come. With over seven offices in the Roanoke area and additional offices in Martinsville, Blacksburg, and Westlake Corner, Vistar Eye Center’s doctors are accessible and eager to ensure that you always see life’s unique moments. Schedule your next appointment at a convenient location today.