Macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy are just some of the eye diseases we can all face as we age. A recent study from Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute shows that the numbers of vision-threatening disease is on the rise. More than 3 million Americans over age 40 suffer from visual impairment. More than half of those are women; some vision-threatening conditions strike women nearly twice as much as men.

Another eye condition that strikes more women than men is dry eye syndrome. Postmenopausal and pregnant women are at an increased risk due to hormonal changes.

See your eye doctor at least once a year -- even if you don't need vision correction -- to care for your eyes and detect any issues sooner rather than later.

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What did your breakfast consist of this morning (that is, assuming you even ate breakfast)? A bowl of cereal? A yogurt that you basically drank from the carton while you drove to work? A bagel and coffee?

Why not eggs?

Eggs have been the topic of some controversy ever since the question of the yolk's supposedly high cholesterol came into play. However, more recent studies have shown these concerns to be unwarranted, and that eating eggs is among the healthiest ways to start your day. Here's why.

A University of St. Louis study found that eating eggs for breakfast will make you feel full longer and subsequently eat fewer calories at lunch than people who ate a bagel.

Researchers from the University of Nebraska found that Omega-3-enriched eggs have an equal amount of these healthy fatty acids as three ounces of salmon.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition reveals that your body may absorb more of the antioxidant lutein from eggs than any other source, making eggs a powerful fighter against macular degeneration.

According to scientists, many people are a bit, shall we say, nearsighted when it comes to protecting their eyes. That's because eating a lot of carrots, despite popular belief, will not reverse or prevent poor eyesight. However, there is evidence to support the beneficial role that carrots play in protecting against age-related eye diseases.

Carrots are high in beta-carotene, which, along with other vitamins and minerals (such as vitamins C and E, and leutin) has been shown to stave off macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older adults.

Eating carrots, so it would seem, is a preventative measure that can be taken against future eye disease, but should not be expected to help you switch to a weaker prescription.

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New research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that eating too many simple carbs (like white bread, pasta, cakes and cookies) can raise blood glucose levels and play a role in the development of age-related macular degenerations, which can cause blindness. To make sure your vision stays rosy, replace simple carbs with complex carbs.

Here's a few examples:

• Instead of white bread, choose mixed grain, whole wheat or rye bread.
• Stay away from pretzels and choose popcorn for the fiber.
• Brown or wild rice is always a better choice than white rice.
• My favorite, a baked sweet potato is better for many reasons ... don't go for the regular baked potato.
• Instead of rice cakes, choose whole wheat crackers -- there's a number of new products available these days.
• Instead of regular pasta, choose multigrain pasta ... once you get use to it, you'll appreciate the added flavor. And you'll wonder why they ever invented white pasta anyway.

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A recent study found that a diet high in refined sugar was linked to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The condition, which usually comes on later in life, affects the retina and can cause vision loss. The study found that those who had a high sugar diet were more likely to have AMD, while those with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as low-gycemic foods, had a lower incidence of the condition. This doesn't prove that diet causes AMD, but it does show a connection between diet and eye health.

Just one more reason to pay attention to what you're eating!

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There are a number of reasons to keep your weight in check that you're probably already aware of -- like heart disease, joint problems, and even cancer; all of which are often linked to diet and exercise. However you might not know that many eye diseases are also influenced by physical fitness.

Obesity is thought to be associated with cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma -- all of which can be caused by weight-related issues, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and lack of exercise.

To combat these problems, it's important to be physically fit, and to make sure you're getting enough lutein (which protects the eye against macular degeneration) and zeaxanthin (which protects your retina from light damage) -- both of which are easily found in everyday foods, like egg yolks.

So take this as yet another reason that you should be eating right and staying active.

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The usage of human stem cells continues to have its proponents and opponents these days. But in a recent study performed on rats (of course), special cells grown fro stem cells have been shown to protect eyesight from the problems of macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness for people older than 50.

The stem cells were derived from human fetal stem cells (called "neural progenitor cells"). These cells protected the eyesight of rats eye diseases similar to human diseases. Conclusion here -- human stem cells showed that they can actually protect failing eye cells.

Are stem cells ready to be used in the treatment of various human physical ailments? So far, that question is being answered by a resounding yes.

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You've probably heard it all your life -- carrots are good for your eyes because of the beta carotene that gives them their bright orange color. In the past studies have shown that taking beta carotene supplements help to prevent or lessen the severity of macular degeneration -- the leading cause of blindness in people over age 65, but today there is information that beta carotene might not be helping at all. It was a big study (over 21,000 men), and it found no difference between those who took beta carotene and those who took a placebo as far as their risk for developing macular degeneration. So which information is right?

At this point doctors are just saying to eat a variety of foods to ensure a complete balance of nutrients, and in the meantime they'll continue researching.

But one question: why did they study only men?

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The amount of medical redundancy sometimes staggers the experts -- as in, unnecessary procedures that cause complications that then need to be fixed. All of this is great for the medical industry's margins, but not for the patient of insurance companies.

A new study says that vision loss actually costs the U.S. Medicare program more than $2 billion a year. That in and of itself does not sound that strange. The strange thing, however, is that these costs are not for eye-related medical problems -- but for problems like depression and disability.

So, this is not really a medical redundancy issue after all -- but a problem that perhaps a little preventive maintenance could take care of. After all, patients need body healers and not body mechanics -- and that includes mental and physical ailments, right?

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