Welcome to the new Simply Supplements website. If you have a subscription created before the 8/6/26 please contact Customer Care to make changes.
Problemas De Vision
7 Nutrientes naturales para la pérdida de visión
Spain
La visión se deteriora con la edad y puede convertirse en un serio problema de salud. A medida que envejecemos, aumenta el riesgo de desarrollar enfermedades oculares importantes, que pueden derivar en la pérdida de la visión o la ceguera.
Una dieta rica en nutrientes para el cuidado de la visión puede ayudar a prevenir la retinopatía, la degeneración macular (pérdida de visión), así como otras enfermedades oculares relacionadas con la edad como las cataratas o la presbicia.
Nutrientes esenciales para la salud ocular
Existen sustancias que pueden ayudarnos a mejorar la salud de nuestro ojos, las podemos encontrar en diversos alimentos, echa un vistazo a la lista que hemos preparado donde encontrarás que sustancia es buena, sus propiedades y en que alimentos se encuentra.
Luteína y zeaxantina - Previenen enfermedades oculares y pérdida de visión
La luteína es un compuesto químico natural que pertenece al grupo de los carotenoides, característico por tratarse de un pigmento de color amarillo, se encuentra en los laterales de la mácula y podemos encontrarlo en diversos alimentos, entre los que destacan las verduras de hoja verde. Ayuda a proteger la mácula ocular, evitando la progresión de las cataratas y previene otras enfermedades oculares, como la retinopatía y la degeneración macular.
Si quieres incrementar las cantidades de luteína de tu dieta, estos son algunos de los alimentos que la contienen:
Brócoli
Col rizada
Espinacas
Lechuga
Zanahoria
Espárragos
Guisantes
Ciruela
Aguacate
Pera
Frambuesa
Manzana
Naranja
La zeaxantina se trata de otro pigmento amarillo muy similar a la luteína. La zeaxantina se encuentra en el centro de la mácula ocular y ayuda a disminuir el riesgo de cataratas y de degeneración macular o pérdida de visión. Es importante mantener el equilibrio de ambas sustancias ya que actúan conjuntamente para proteger los ojos de las radiaciones ultravioleta.
Alimentos que contienen altos niveles de zeaxantina:
Espinacas
Nabo
Lechuga
Huevos
Pimiento
Maíz
Coles de Bruselas
Brócoli
Zanahoria
Guisantes
Alubias (cualquier tipo)
Ambas sustancias se pueden encontrar en mayor o menor medida en los mismos alimentos aunque dependiendo de cuál sea la cantidad será variable. La función de ambas sustancias, es la de proteger a las plantas de la radiación ultravioleta, lo cual también ocurre en el caso de nuestra retina, protegiéndola de los rayos del sol.
Zinc – Reduce el riesgo de cataratas, presbicia o vista cansada, glaucoma, ojo seco y moscas volantes
El ojo contiene altas concentraciones de zinc, especialmente en la retina. Este mineral es esencial en la salud ocular ya que ayuda a transportar la vitamina A del hígado a la retina para producir melanina, pigmento que ayuda a proteger los ojos.
Hay una variedad de alimentos ricos en zinc, tanto de origen animal como vegetal, que puedes incorporar en tu dieta:
Carnes
Chocolate negro
Mariscos, especialmente el cangrejo
Cereales integrales
Setas
Vitamina C – Para mantener un buen estado de salud ocular
Además de proteger los ojos de las radiaciones ultravioletas, ayuda también a prevenir problemas oculares en la retina y el cristalino.
Una buena fuente natural de vitamina C, puedes encontrarla en frutas como:
Guayaba
Grosella negra
Kiwis
Fresas
Frambuesas
Moras
Naranjas
Mandarinas
Limón
Pomelo
Vitamina E – Protege y fortalece los tejidos y las membranas celulares
Esta vitamina tiene propiedades antioxidantes que ayudan a prevenir el deterioro progresivo de las células y protege los ojos contra la pérdida de visión. Recordemos que es una vitamina liposoluble y necesitaremos consumirla acompañada de grasas para su correcta absorción, a no ser que la consumamos a partir de alimentos grasos de forma natural
Puedes obtener vitamina E de los siguientes alimentos:
Frutos secos
Espinacas
Aguacate
Kiwi
Tomate
Mango
Aceite de oliva
Brócoli
Semillas
Papaya
Pescados
Omega 3 – Para prevenir el síndrome de ojo seco
Los ácidos grasos Omega 3 son esencialesen la salud ocular, proteger la retina y lubricar los globos oculares reduciendo el riesgo de desarrollar enfermedades oculares, asociadas con la edad, como las cataratas; la pérdida de visión e incluso el síndrome de ojo seco.
Una fuente natural de omega 3 es el aceite de pescado azul, así como otros alimentos como:
Pescados azul como el salmón o la caballa
Mariscos
Aceites vegetales como el de lino, oliva o soja
Aguacate
Bioflavonoides – Para proteger la retina
También conocidos como vitamina P, son vitaminas hidrosolubles, podemos encontrarlos en altas concentraciones en la corteza de los cítricos y poseen importantes propiedades antioxidantes que ayudan a combatir la pérdida de visión y las cataratas.
Además de los cítricos como la naranja o el pomelo, también podemos encontrar bioflavonoides en otros alimentos como:
Pimiento rojo
Fresas
Brócoli
Coles de Bruselas
Mango
Papaya
Ajo
Espinacas
Té verde y sus derivados
Si debido a tu ritmo de vida crees que tu dieta no es lo suficientemente completa y crees que puedes estar teniendo deficiencias, te aconsejamos un producto como Visualex Gold, contiene luteína y zeaxantina además de todos los nutrientes necesarios para complementar tu dieta y cuidar de la salud de tu vista.
What are the best anti-inflammatory foods? Explore the science behind the Mediterranean diet, omega-3, fruit, vegetables and whole foods for better health.
Learn what B vitamins do, their food sources, and how vitamin B complex supports energy, metabolism, brain function, red blood cells, and overall health.
Learn how to lower high cholesterol naturally with fibre, healthy fats, exercise, sleep and lifestyle tips to support heart health and a healthy lipid profile.
Discover the link between osteoporosis and sarcopenia, plus nutrition and lifestyle tips to support bone density, muscle health, mobility and healthy ageing.
In the UK, men on average die four to six years earlier than women. They also have a life expectancy of 79.1 years, are significantly less likely to attend routine health screenings, are more likely to delay seeking medical attention for concerning symptoms, and face higher rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and suicide.
The dietary patterns, movement habits, sleep, stress management, and relationship with healthcare that men establish can have a profound influence on health outcomes across the lifespan.
Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of premature death in men in the UK, and men develop it on average ten years earlier than women. The protective effect of oestrogen that delays cardiovascular disease in premenopausal women does not apply to men, meaning that risk accumulates from earlier in adulthood.
The key modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease include:
high blood pressure
elevated LDL cholesterol
high triglycerides,
insulin resistance,
smoking
excess visceral adiposity
physical inactivity
chronic stress
poor sleep
alcohol use and diet quality
Most of these can be influenced by nutrition and lifestyle, meaning that the everyday choices men make have a significant and compounding effect on their long-term cardiovascular risk.
Dietary patterns most strongly associated with reduced cardiovascular risk include:
Mediterranean diet
diets rich in vegetables and fruit
wholegrains
legumes
olive oil
nuts
oily fish
Focus should fall on predominantly whole food dietary patterns that are balanced, high in fibre and low in saturated fats.
Specific nutrients with the strongest cardiovascular evidence include omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce triglycerides and inflammation, soluble fibre from oats, barley, chia seeds, legumes, certain vegetables and fruit, which reduces LDL cholesterol, potassium from vegetables and fruit, which supports healthy blood pressure, and extra virgin olive oil for its anti-inflammatory properties.
In the UK, men are encouraged to have regular blood pressure and cholesterol screenings from their forties onward, and earlier for those with a family history of cardiovascular disease. Many men have elevated cardiovascular risk markers like LDL cholesterol for years before any symptoms arise, making regular monitoring genuinely important rather than optional.
Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Health
Men are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes than women at equivalent body weights, partly due to the tendency of men to accumulate visceral fat (fat around the internal organs) rather than subcutaneous fat (fat beneath the skin).
Visceral adiposity is metabolically active and drives insulin resistance, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk in ways that subcutaneous fat does not to the same degree.
Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable and in its early stages often reversible through dietary and lifestyle change. The evidence for dietary approaches to improving insulin sensitivity and metabolic health consistently points toward reducing refined carbohydrate and added sugar intake, increasing dietary fibre, eating regular meals with adequate protein, fibre and fat to moderate blood glucose response, and regular physical activity.
Waist circumference is a more informative marker of metabolic risk than body weight or BMI alone. A waist circumference above 94cm in men is associated with increased metabolic risk, and above 102cm with substantially elevated risk.
This is worth knowing not as a point of shame, but as a practical piece of health information that is easy to measure and track.
Dietary quality improvements, increased physical activity, and better sleep can all improve insulin sensitivity and reduce visceral fat independently of changes in overall body weight.
Prostate Health
According to Cancer Research, 1 in 6 men in the UK will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. When detected early, it is one of the most survivable cancers and so regular screening is particularly important for men over 50 and men with a family history of prostate cancer or with Black African or Caribbean heritage.
In epidemiological research, those who consume diets rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that gives fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon their red pigment, has been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer, though evidence is mixed.
Lycopene is significantly more bioavailable from cooked or processed tomatoes than raw, with tomato paste, passata, and canned tomatoes providing more absorbable lycopene than fresh tomatoes.
The overall dietary pattern matters more than any single nutrient. Higher vegetable, fruit and wholegrains intake, adequate zinc, and a predominantly whole food dietary pattern are associated with better prostate health outcomes. Diets high in processed meat and very high in saturated fat are associated with modestly increased risk in large prospective studies.
Testosterone and Hormonal Health
Testosterone levels in men decline gradually from the mid-thirties onward, with research suggesting an average decline of around 1 to 2% per year after age 40. This is a normal part of aging, but the trajectory and rate of decline are influenced by lifestyle factors, meaning that the choices men make in their thirties and forties meaningfully affect their hormonal health in their fifties and beyond.
Several nutritional and lifestyle factors are associated with better testosterone status. Adequate zinc intake is directly relevant: zinc is essential for testosterone synthesis, and deficiency is associated with reduced testosterone levels.
Good sources include shellfish, pumpkin seeds, and legumes. Adequate dietary fat intake, particularly from monounsaturated and saturated fat sources in moderate amounts, supports testosterone production, as testosterone is synthesised from cholesterol.
Vitamin D deficiency, which is widespread in the UK, is associated with lower testosterone levels so correcting any deficiency may improve testosterone status. Maintaining adequate vitamin D year-round through blood work to assess levels and supplementation when needed can therefore be relevant to hormonal health.
Chronic stress elevates cortisol, which directly suppresses testosterone production. This is one of several reasons why stress management is not separate from men's hormonal health but integral to it.
Sleep is equally relevant: testosterone is primarily produced during sleep, and research has found that even one week of sleeping five hours per night reduces testosterone levels by approximately 10 to 15% in young men, a reduction equivalent to ageing ten to fifteen years.
Sleep and Sleep Apnoea
Sleep affects testosterone, cardiovascular health, metabolic function, immune resilience, cognitive performance, emotional regulation, and physical recovery.
Sleep apnoea, a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, is significantly more common in men than in women, and is associated with fatigue, poor cognitive function, elevated cardiovascular risk, and reduced testosterone. It is frequently undiagnosed because the primary symptom is snoring combined with daytime sleepiness, which many men normalise. If you or your partner have noticed loud or irregular snoring combined with daytime fatigue, discussing this with a GP is worthwhile.
Seven to nine hours of quality sleep per night is the evidence-supported range for most adults. Consistent sleep and wake times, a cool dark bedroom, limiting alcohol, avoiding caffeine after midday, and managing stress are the most consistently evidence-supported sleep hygiene strategies.
Alcohol
Men in the UK drink more alcohol on average than women and are more likely to drink at hazardous or harmful levels. The NHS guidelines recommend no more than 14 units of alcohol per week spread across at least three days, with alcohol-free days each week.
Alcohol at higher intake levels is associated with liver disease, several cancers including colorectal and liver cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, depression, cognitive decline, impaired sleep, reduced testosterone, and reduced fertility.
The relationship between alcohol and health is not linear, and while low-level drinking has historically been associated with some cardiovascular benefits, more recent research applying Mendelian randomisation methods suggests that even moderate drinking carries some increased risk.
This is not about prohibition. It is about honest awareness that alcohol is one of the most significant modifiable risk factors for serious health conditions in men, and that staying within recommended guidelines meaningfully reduces long-term risk.
Engaging With Healthcare
One of the most impactful things men can do for their long-term health is engage proactively with healthcare rather than reactively. This means attending NHS health checks when invited (available to those aged 40 to 74), discussing blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose screening with a GP, being aware of bowel cancer screening (offered to those over 60 in the UK), having conversations about prostate health from the mid-forties onward for those with risk factors, and not dismissing symptoms or delaying seeking help when something feels wrong.
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15 to 49 afd is highly treatable when caught early. Regular self-examination and prompt reporting of any lumps or changes to a GP are important habits. Skin cancer rates are higher in men partly due to lower rates of sun protection, and regular skin checks for changing moles or lesions are worthwhile.
Mental Health
Men are less likely to seek help for depression and anxiety, less likely to discuss emotional difficulties with friends or family, and more likely to manage distress through avoidance, alcohol, or other external coping strategies rather than directly addressing the underlying issue. These patterns can have devastating consequences when unaddressed, and they are deeply connected to social norms around masculinity that equate emotional expression with weakness.
The most important message regarding men's mental health is to reach out. To your GP, to a therapist, to a trusted friend, to a helpline and to engage in psychological therapies like CBT and ACT for mental health support.
Closing Thoughts
Men's health is shaped by the accumulation of daily choices across decades: what is eaten, how much movement happens, how sleep is prioritised, how stress is managed, how much alcohol is consumed, and whether medical or mental health care is sought when needed.
None of these are binary or all-or-nothing. Small, consistent improvements in multiple areas compound meaningfully over time.
This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace the advice of a qualified healthcare or nutrition professional. If you're experiencing persistent or severe symptoms, please consult your healthcare provider.
Sources:
https://www.nmcd-journal.com/article/S0939-4753(23)00385-X/fulltexthttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6906176/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11958419/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960076021000716?via%3Dihubhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8743653/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949789225000881https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9566.13257
Learn how to support summer health with hydration, seasonal foods, sunlight, gut health, sleep and exercise for better energy, digestion and wellbeing.
