Carrots and Sight

When I was a child I was told that carrots were good for my vision.  Well having thick framed glasses that were not of the most attractive nature this was like a fantasy to me.  So I ate them with high hopes and expectations.  Sadly there was no change in my eye sight until I opted for lasik eye surgery.  However I was not completely wrong on them being good for my eyes.  Carrots have no effect on myopia or farsightedness but has an effect on preventing night blindness caused by a deficiency of vitamin A.  Vitamin A combines with the protein opsin in the retina's rod cells to form the substance rhodopsin that the eyes need for night vision.  By consuming just one carrot every few days you will provide enough vitamin A to prevent or overcome night blindness.
photo credit: Sister72

Choosing Collard Greens

Collard Greens are a rich source of vitamin K, A, C, folate, manganese, calcium, dietary fiber and potassium just to name a few. They have been toted to help in the reduction of free radicals in the body which decreases risk of many diseases including cancer. Collards have an anti-inflammatory effect which can speed up the healing process and help bring down inflammation in joints when an injury has occurred.

Vitamin A & Hip Fractures

A study in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 2002;287:47-54) discusses the risk involved in high levels of Vitamin A.  The study showed that the women with the highest levels of Vitamin A consumption had doubled the risk of hip fractures compared with women who had the lowest intake.  Doctors such as Jeff Novick and Joel Fuhrman suggest avoiding any suppliments containing Vitamin A.  If you are taking a multi-vitamin you may want to rethink it, if it has vitamin A.