ATHLETIC STRENGTH AND POWER

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Sports Nutrition for the Eyes... with Mark Bergmann M.D.

ASAP takes a look at the eyes today.... the eyes are something that we seem to take for granted...until something goes wrong. One thing that's for sure is that as we age, our eyes lose some of their capability year after year. Is there something that we can do to be proactive? Can we slow these effects down? We checked in with Dr Mark Bergmann of Eye Care Associates, located in Cincinnati, Ohio to get more information on this subject. Doctor Bergmann has plenty of interesting insight into ....well....sight. In fact, at a later date we'll also schedule him for a podcast interview. Mark Bergmann, M.D. specializes in Ophthalmology...the study of the eyes and all thing related to vision. He is known as an expert surgeon and specializes in the new Cataract "No Stitch" Surgery. He also does the new Lens Implant surgeries with the new ReZoom Lens. And, of course he has been doing the Lasik Surgeries for many years.  He's a graduate of St Xavier High School in Cincinnati, where he also was a competitive swimmer and is, of course, a huge St X football fan. Dr Bergmann has done several goodwill trips to Honduras, where he performed surgeries and checkups for impoverished people in Central America.

So, we thought that we'd examine something that is often overlooked....and that's Nutrition for Eyesight. Nutrition is very important for eyesight and of course, athleticism. Do you think Pete Rose, one of the great hitters of all time, would have gotten far without great vision. How about Joe Montana to Jerry Rice?  Both had incredible vision. Or the great fighter pilot, Chuck Yeager...he must have had super vision. Would Maria Sharapova be the great tennis star that she is without her sight? We probably take our eyesight for granted.  Here's what Dr Bergmann has suggested for maintaining and improving vision from a nutritional standpoint:

• Omega-3-fatty Acids.....find them abundant in tuna and salmon
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Grapes! Both green and red. In fact, he says that red grapes may be slightly more beneficial due to the fact that they contain more of the flavanoids that are found in the skin of the grape. However, he pointed out that the "final word" isn't out on that yet.
• Green Leafy Vegetables: Because they are high in antioxidants. The doctor mentioned spinach,collard greens, kale, mustard greens, kiwi fruit
• Orange-colored fruits and vegetables...like oranges and cantaloupes and sweet potatoes and, of course, carrots

Dr Bergmann stated that it's known that the more colorful the fruit and vegetable...the better and more nutritious it seems to be for us.

On the subject of cataracts, he said that several things can be factors that can lead to cataracts. Those being

• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Ultraviolet Sun Damage....that's occurred over a person's lifetime