Expert profile
Rip Esselstyn
Plant-based nutrition advocate, author, and host of the Plant Strong podcast
Plant-based diet • whole-food nutrition • behaviour change
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About the expert
Focus: Whole-food plant-based eating
Rip Esselstyn is a former firefighter and triathlete, author, and founder of Plant Strong. He hosts the Plant Strong podcast and advocates whole-food, plant-predominant eating. He is not a clinician; his contribution here is as host and advocate.
Expert discussions with Rip Esselstyn
What foods and habits actually help your eyes?
Genes and age strongly influence eye-disease risk, but several important risk factors are modifiable, and there is no single eye-health diet. The best-established steps are broad: not smoking, managing diabetes, blood pressure and cardiovascular risk, protecting against strong UV, and regular eye exams. Diet helps too: leafy greens are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which concentrate in the macula (the central retina); they help filter some high-energy visible light and act as antioxidants, sometimes described, loosely, as the eye's internal sunglasses. Screen breaks can ease eye strain, though screens are not known to cause lasting eye disease.