Daily dark green vegetables to supplement lutein (Medium)

6 mg a day is enough

Liu Chunjun believes that although lutein is indeed a nutrient that the human body must consume, most of the lutein preparations currently on the market are exaggerated to be able to prevent eye diseases. In fact, moderate consumption is good for health, but excessive consumption may put a burden on the liver. It is generally recommended that 6 mg per day is enough, so just go to the market near your home and buy cheap seasonal dark green vegetables. Eat at least one bowl of dark green vegetables every day and that will be enough.

Lutein is a fat-soluble substance that is not easily soluble in water, Liu Chunjun reminded, but lutein is easily decomposed by light and heat, and is also unstable in acidic environments. Therefore, when cooking vegetables rich in lutein, use high heat and little oil to stir-fry quickly to get the best lutein nutrition. Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in dark green vegetables such as spinach, mustard greens, sweet potato leaves, water spinach, broccoli, etc., or in orange foods such as pumpkin, corn, carrots, kiwi fruit, and even in small amounts in the yolks of various eggs.

In fact, lutein is a nutrient that is easily absorbed from vegetables and fruits consumed daily. Although people in Europe and the United States seem to often find it deficient, in Taiwan, where there are abundant dark green, dark yellow and red vegetables and fruits, it is rare for people to be deficient unless they are very picky eaters.

Take eye-protecting herbs in moderation

Not only ordinary food, in fact, many Chinese medicines commonly used to protect the eyes are also rich in lutein. Chinese medicine practitioner Wu Mingzhu said that although Chinese medicine believes that the eye-protecting effect of these Chinese medicines is not in lutein but in pharmacological effects, there are also many commonly used herbs that can protect the eyes and absorb lutein.

The most common ones include chrysanthemum, wolfberry, cassia seed, etc. These medicinal materials not only contain lutein, but the eye-protecting effect of chrysanthemum lies in its ability to dispel wind-heat, clear the liver and improve eyesight, clear away heat and detoxify, and calm the liver yang. Wolfberry also has the effects of replenishing essence and blood, benefiting the liver and kidneys, and improving eyesight. As for Cassia seed, it has the effects of clearing the liver and improving eyesight, as well as moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements. In addition, wolfberry is rich in vitamin A and has the highest vitamin A content among plants discovered so far. Since wolfberry itself has a sweet taste, Chinese herbal medicine products are often made with honey. Due to its good taste, it is often used in cooking, including stewing chicken soup and fresh shrimps. Wolfberry is often used instead of MSG or sugar for seasoning, which is not only good for health, but also healthier.

Sangju Drink, which is commonly used to treat colds, contains eight medicinal ingredients: almonds, forsythia, mint, mulberry leaves, chrysanthemum, platycodon, licorice, and reed roots. It is also very helpful for treating headaches and red eyes.

[For more exciting content, please see Changchun Monthly Issue 354]