Great News! Ditch the carrots and eat chocolate for better vision!

Will carrots help me see better? No. Will Chocolate? A little…

May 21, 2011 by murphyod

Carrots CAN keep your eyes healthy but won't eliminate your need for glasses

I can’t count the number of times I have been asked by patients if carrots really can improve their eyesight. I think most people are looking for carrots to be a magical ‘cure’ for their refractive error. They want to eliminate their need for glasses and want carrots to make them have perfect 20/20 vision. While proper nutrition is necessary to maintain healthy eyes and can even help slow the progression of certain eye conditions and illnesses such as cataracts and macular degeneration, consuming a certain type of food can not ‘cure’ your need for glasses. HOWEVER, in recent studies it has been shown that what you eat CAN affect the sharpness of your vision! Say what, Dr. Murphy? Let me explain.

A study was recently conducted at the University of Reading where they measured the visual awareness and detection skills of 30 healthy young subjects two hours after they consumed either dark chocolate (which contains antioxidants called Cocoa Flavanols or CFs) or white chocolate (since white chocolate does not contain CF, this acted as a placebo).

*Yum! Chocolate!* Where do I sign up for this experiment again? Whoops, sorry. Back to the blog.

All kidding aside, the study set out to examine the effects of cocoa flavanols on vision and cognition. The experiment went like this, the 30 people were divided into two groups. One group consumed dark chocolate, the other consumed white. Then they were given a series of tests two hours later, when the CFs would have been releasing their physiological effects on the body. The tests given measured the subjects’ visual contrast sensitivity, motion sensitivity and direction detection and cognitive performance through visual spatial memory and a choice reaction cognitive task. They recorded the results and then a week later, they actually did the same experiment again with the same 30 subjects with one difference, they swapped sides! The white chocolate subjects now consumed dark chocolate and vice versa.

What they found, both weeks, was an improvement in visual and cognitive performances of the subjects who consumed the dark chocolate. The subjects who consumed the white chocolate had no real enhancement in their testing performance. This demonstrated that CFs really can temporarily improve your vision and cognition skills in as little as two hours, the effects of which are temporary. Researchers think that CFs increase blood flow to the eyes and brain and that this is what leads to enhanced functioning of those structures. They state that, “the results of the current study demonstrate for the first time that performance on tests of visual system function in healthy young adults can be improved by the acute consumption of CF.” (source)

More studies need to be done in this area to find out what this all means and how we could benefit from this knowledge but oh what fun that research will be! MMmmmm! =)

Dark Chocolate contains Cocoa Flavanols which can temporarily increase visual contrast sensitivity and visual detection.

Now I am not saying dark chocolate is better for you than carrots. I am not saying to eat dark chocolate everyday and substitute it for fruits and vegetables or your regular meal. I am not even saying that dark chocolate will cause improvements to your vision that you yourself will notice. I am bringing up this topic just to remind you that what you eat affects your body, sometimes in ways we haven’t even learned yet. So stick to a healthy, well-balanced diet. And a little indulgence consisting of a small amount of dark chocolate as a dessert every now and then is probably a very good thing.

(Source)

This was originally posted on Dr. Cheryl Murphy's blog. Click HERE to  check it out!

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Fashion Frames: Charmant XL 2004 Line Art

Once upon a time, Titanium was the Holy Grail of metal frame materials. Incredibly light weight, exceptionally strong, hypoallergenic, it offered tremendous benefits. And, for a number of people with nickel allergies (10% of the population), it was the only metal frame they could wear successfully. I’m not sure what happened, but slowly the number of frames styles made in titanium dwindled to a very tiny fraction of the market, and virtually disappeared for women.

Charmant has recently turned that all around with the introduction of their Line Art series. Years in the design process, they came up with a new proprietary no-nickel titanium alloy that is highly flexible, has a “memory”, and is bio-compatible for people with nickel allergies. An entirely new method of laser welding was developed, allowing even the smallest parts to be welded without adverse impact to the adjoining metal.

That done, they turned to the design process. A unique blending of long and short arches allows the temples to flex and twist, with the “memory” metal springing it right back into shape.

The XL 2004, shown here, has a five-element temple with contrasting black and gold colors creating a beautiful and strikingly elegant design. Light and airy, strong and flexible – people will notice these glasses! The frames come in a variety of designs – semi-rimless, totally rimless, or a standard full frame, such as the one featured here. A thoughtful design, it will complement a variety of face shapes. The very thin metal won’t overwhelm the wearer’s features, but provide a perfect accent with the nicely arched brow, the subtle lift at the edges, and a bit of a straight line at the outside edge that keeps the face from being divided into unequal thirds.

So, if the perfect combination of light weight, strength, bio-compatibility and exceptional styling is what you are looking for, please stop in at your closest Charmant dealer location.

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Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Fashion Sunglasses: Calvin Klein's New CK4125 S

With summer just around the corner (or so we are told), grabbing that uber chic pair of sunglasses for the season is ramping up in importance.  Every year it seems that a particular style will take center stage because all they styling factors just come together and create a hit. I think that the Calvin Klein ck4125S has that potential this year - along with the Lulu Guinness L500, but that's another review.

The first impression I just can't get away from is the absolutely amazing deep lilac color. Rich and saturated and opaque, it captivates the eye. As you can see in the photo, the front is made of laminated plastic; right behind the lilac is a very thin layer of a very light pinkish lilac, followed by a clear dark grape tone. This appears to shine with an inner light, so that the thicker design doesn't become too heavy on the face. Objectively, the shape is probably closer to square than anything else, but in reality, this is a shape that will look good on almost every face.

Last but not least is the view from the side. A series of inscribed lines artfully cuts through the top opaque lilac face to the lighter tone underneath. Combined with a bit of silver trim at the end of the temple, this shows off just a bit of flair and fun, perfect for that summer sun!

To try this sunglass - or any of our large inventory of great summer sunglasses - just stop by any Calvin Klein authorized dealer.

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Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Fashion Frames: Marc jacobs MMJ 485

Will Geek Chic take over the world? Very possibly the glasses styling world, and I – for one – am OK with that. Frame styles became very stagnant overall several years ago, and while a few niche trends- such as the Euro look - became bit players, no major trend displaced the tired and overworked rectangle. Recently, however, the decidedly modernized retro look now popularly known as Geek Chic is taking the fashion world by storm.

Marc Jacobs (maybe the most famous designer you never heard of) – has stepped in with very modern twists on some very classic styles. The MMJ 485 is a great case in point. A very popular look back in the ‘50’s was the Harlequin style, which gave us those great “cat-eye” looks. While this new frame from Marc Jacobs evokes the Harlequin feeling, it will never be confused with a cat-eye, as the lens size embraces the new, larger lens look.

The color is a laminated tiger-eye tortoise shell, with a rich tortoise color on the front, a fun black on crystal center, and a totally clear layer on the back. Additional ornamentation is very subtle – a lettered logo that is virtually lost in the rich frame color.

OK, people – it’s time! There is a change going on in America, and it’s time to get rid of the old, and bring in the new. Let’s start by updating those old glasses!

Come on in and try on this and other new look frames at any Marc Jacobs authorized dealer.

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