By Rebecca Dale

Contributing Writer

As Thanksgiving approaches, many give thanks for family, friends and health. 

As an ophthalmologist—an eye M.D.—I also give thanks for the amazing blessing of sight.  Did you know that a Thanksgiving feast is also a wonderful way to give back valuable nutrients to your eyes?

Many people know that the beta-carotene in carrots is good for your eyes, but your eyes actually depend on a wide variety of nutrients. For example, the retina is an amazing structure. Placed along the back side of your eye, there are 10 layers of different nerve and supportive cell types that constantly work to sense light and convert the sights we see into nerve signals that are then sent to our brain.

All that activity requires nutrients to keep the retina healthy. Anti-oxidant vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene help absorb some damaging light rays and clean up oxidants.  Exciting research is also being done on these less well-known nutrients that contribute to healthy eyes:  lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids. 

So as you pull cookbooks and magazines out to plan this year’s Thanksgiving feast, why don’t you give consideration to letting your eyes feast, too?  Here are a few suggestions:

• Make a festive salad with spinach, dried cranberries and diced apple.  The spinach is high in beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin.

• Pumpkin isn’t just for pie!  It’s high in beta carotene, and can be added to pastas, roast vegetable medleys or fall soups.

• Try your hand at homemade cranberry sauce.  Cranberries are high in Vitamin C, and the homemade variety is delicious and easy to make.

• Add a little Pacific Northwest flavor to your thanksgiving meal with some clam chowder (for zinc) or salmon (for omega-3 fatty acids).

• Rebecca Dale, MD, practices at Snoqualmie Falls Ophthalmology in Snoqualmie.