The use of avocado is a growing trend in the culinary world just about everywhere. The fresh flavor of avocado can make any dish shine during the hot summer days! A common party treat is a guacamole, which consists of mashed up avocado, diced onions, tomato, and varying mixtures of seasoning, this is paired typically with tortilla chips.  Setting aside the obvious delicious flavor of avocado, it actually provides nutrients that promote good eye health!

The reason avocado is good for your eyes is the high amount of lutein that is found in it. A single ounce of avocado contains 80 micrograms of lutein—most lutein supplements only give you 10 mg! So, what is lutein? And why should you care about adding it to your daily diet?

Lutein is a natural antioxidant that is said to help maintain eye health as you age. The American Optometric Associate claims that lutein is a carotenoid that filters harmful blue light—this helps to maintain healthy cells within your eye. Currently, we know about 600 different carotenoids that exist in nature, and lutein is one of only two that benefit the retina of your eye.  This means that lutein can help prevent Age-Related Macular Degeneration. The human body does not synthesize the lutein it needs to help your eyes fight Macular Degeneration, and for this very reason, it is a good idea to add some avocado to your diet!

Avocado is a versatile ingredient and can be added to many different types of dishes: salads, salsa, soup, and sandwiches are all easy targets for added avocado. The best part about making food is being creative! So have some fun with it and try some new things!

… And don’t be afraid to share your recipe with your local eye doctor.