The eyes are said to be the mirrors of the soul but they're also one of the most misunderstood parts of the body. That explains why there are a lot of myths surrounding them.
To shed light on this matter, here are some old beliefs you should discard courtesy of Eyevive, an anti-aging cream that eliminates dark circles, puffy eyes, eyes bags, and other skin imperfections. For details, check out eyevive.com.
Old folks say sleeping with wet hair will make you blind. My mom has been telling me that since I was a kid. I admit that can probably happen if you sleep on a bed of nails. Otherwise, there's no connection between the two, according to Dr. Noel Santos, a Manila-based optometrist. Santos believes this myth was perpetrated by mothers who didn't want the pillowcase to get wet.
Some people believe poor eyesight can be corrected by following certain diets or by taking vitamin supplements. This is true only if your problem is caused by a vitamin deficiency. Vitamin A, for instance, is needed for night vision. People who lack this vitamin - which is found in dark green, leafy, and yellow vegetables and fruits - can't see well in dim light because of night blindness. This is a common problem in developing countries.
But gorging on carrots and other sources of vitamin A won't spare you the trouble of wearing eyeglasses if you really need them. Rather than help you, too much vitamin A can cause blurred vision, itchy skin, loss of appetite, hair loss, joint pains, and irregular menstruation.
"Poor eyesight, which is helped by wearing eyeglasses, has nothing to do with nutrition. If you are short of vitamin A, then carrots would enable you to see better in dim light. If you have enough, more does not help," said Arnold Bender, vice president of the International Union of Food Science and Technology in "Health or Hoax?"
Glaucoma is another eye disease which some quacks claim can be cured by a special diet. This disorder is characterized by increased pressure in the eyeball and can lead to blindness.
The exact cause of glaucoma is unknown but the acute form is common among the elderly who are farsighted. The condition also appears to run in families. Chronic glaucoma, on the other hand, may result from the use of corticosteroid eye drops. Other risk factors are eye injuries and diabetes.
To date, no diet has been found to prevent or treat the disease. Following one may prevent you from getting the right treatment and can make things worse.
"Encouraging reports from Nigeria indicate that some glaucoma can be treated with nutritional methods. It is important to understand that most glaucoma in Nigeria and other developing nations is triggered by years of severe malnutrition and malaria. There is no evidence that glaucoma in affluent nations has a nutritional basis, and those afflicted should not be tempted by articles in health food magazines to switch from their eye drops or pills to nutritional supplements," warned nutritionist Kurt Butler and Dr. Lynn Rayner of the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii in The Best Medicine.
| Price : $59.95
