Forget carrots – eating just two handfuls of pistachios a day could boost your vision in old age, a study has found.
Scientists say adding two ounces (57g) of the nut to your diet can ‘significantly’ improve eye health as it raises our lutein levels.
The antioxidant – also found in lower doses in carrots, kale and spinach – protects the retina against harmful blue light, acting ‘like sunglasses for your eyes’, the study in the Journal of Nutrition found.
Researchers at Tufts University, US, monitored 36 people aged 40-70, half of whom had pistachios daily for 12 weeks.
They showed big gains in macular pigment density, which protects eyes from UV rays, compared with the non nut-eaters.
File photo. Pistachios contain an antioxidant that protects the retina against harmful light
File photo. Just two cups of pistachios a day can significantly improve lutein levels