Metabolic Health Affects Your Eyesight. Not (Just) Age!
If you’ve been told your cataracts are “just aging” or your glaucoma is something to “manage,” you need to hear what Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, founder of the Institute of Nutritional Endocrinology, shared on this week’s Clear Vision Wednesday episode.
Your vision after 40 depends on metabolic health. And here’s the shocking statistic: 93% of the population is metabolically unwell according to a 2022 study.
What is Metabolic Health Actually Means
Metabolic health is how your body processes fuel from food and water and turns it into energy. Blood sugar regulation, thyroid function, digestion, and breathing all connect to your metabolic system.
In the 2022 metabolic wellness study only 7% passed the criteria that measured waist-hip ratio, blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
Think about the chances you’re in that 7%. Do you feel full of energy all the time? Is your brain working well? Is your vision clear? Your belly flat?
If not, your metabolic health needs attention.
The Eye Disease Connection Nobody Tells You
Blindness is a long-term side effect of diabetes. What shocks most people is that eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma, AMD and diabetic retinopathy start way before a diabetes diagnosis.
Elevated blood sugar beyond what your body needs damages blood circulation and nerve circulation in your eyes. You start going blind years before the diagnosis.
Dr. Ritamarie had a patient whose fingers and toes were tingling. His vision was getting blurry. He asked his doctor, “Do I have diabetes?”
The doctor said no. His fasting glucose was 98, which is considered “normal”.
The doctor never tested his hemoglobin HbA1c (Hemoglobin A1c). So he did it himself. It was way elevated, clearly indicating diabetes. He developed diabetic retinopathy and lost his vision. Yet he was never diagnosed as diabetic since his fasting glucose was still under the magic number 100. The metabolic damage happened anyway.
Read more about how diabetes affects your eye health.
How Metabolic Damage Shows Up in Your Eyes
Your eyes are tiny, delicate, and complex. They get damaged before other organs in your body.
When an ophthalmologist or optometrist looks in the back of your eyes during a dilated pupil exam, they can see your blood vessels, your macula and optic disc. They can see if there’s high blood pressure, thickening of vessels or proliferation of tiny new blood vessels due to blockages in the arteries.
The problem? Most people don’t get dilated eye exams. And standard doctor visits usually only test fasting glucose as part of a health check. And fasting glucose is the last thing to change when metabolic health declines, making it a very poor indicator of health by itself.
Common eye conditions connected to metabolic problems:
- Cataracts (60% are based on metabolic imbalance)
- Glaucoma (eye pressure and optic nerve issues)
- Macular degeneration and other macula diseases
- Diabetic retinopathy (blood vessel damage in retina)
My mom has diabetes. She’s had cataract surgery. But her vision keeps declining. Her glasses get stronger every year. She takes metformin and blood pressure medication. But her metabolic markers are still off with her HbA1c around 6.6.
The 5 Critical Metabolic Tests
Test 1: Fasting Glucose
This measures sugar circulating in your blood. Standard range says below 100 is fine. But for optimal metabolic health, it should be below 90.
Studies show fasting glucose above 90 increases chance of heart disease fourfold.
Test 2: Hemoglobin A1C (The 3-Month Average of Blood Sugar)
This measures what percentage of your red blood cells are coated in sugar over the last three months.
Optimal range: 4.8 to 5.2. Medical standards say 5.7 to 6.4 is prediabetic. And over 6.5 is diabetic.
But what if your A1C is 5.6? Doctors say you’re fine. You’re not diabetic “yet.” That word should scare you.
One doctor told a patient with 115 fasting glucose to come back in 6 months. “If it’s higher and you’re diabetic, I’ll put you on medication.” That’s waiting for disaster instead of preventing metabolic decline.
Test 3: Fasting Insulin (The Earliest Marker)
This hormone helps glucose get into your cells so you can make energy.
Optimal range: 2 to 5
Insulin changes 30 years before diabetes sets in. Kids who get very hypoglycemic usually have insulin levels in the blood that are too high. The insulin clears blood sugar really fast, then they crash.
A friend had exactly this. Doctors told her to eat more sugar when she got dizzy as a teenager. Now she’s on metformin with PCOS.
Test 4: Postprandial Glucose (After Eating)
Medicine tells diabetics to test before eating, then 2 hours after. They say that as long as it’s 140 or below two hours after the meal, you’re fine.
That’s terrible advice. Two hours after eating, your glucose should be the same as before you ate. It should never even get to 140.
Test 45 minutes to an hour after eating to see your peak. This shows which foods spike your blood sugar the most. We are all different. You might spike from potatoes, your friend from grapes.
Test 5: Blood Pressure
When insulin goes high, blood pressure goes up. Artery walls stiffen. This affects circulation to your eyes. High blood pressure damages the tiny vessels in your eyes long before you notice vision problems.
Reversing Advanced Cataracts Through Metabolic Changes
I had a student with stage 2.5 in her left and stage 3 cataract in her right eye. Stage 4 is the highest. I’d not seen anyone with advanced cataracts see improvement before.
I asked about her A1C. It was 5.9.
She got it down to 5.2 through a better diet, more movement and less stress. Her cataract reduced to a “stage 1.5 at the most”. Her eye doctor was shocked.
This shows you it’s never too late to make changes. Even if you need surgery eventually, improving your metabolic health helps prevent further damage.
The Symptoms Nobody Connects to Metabolic Problems
Dr. Ritamarie calls these “annoyance symptoms” that most people ignore. Yet they are the engine
- Belly fat
- Brain fog
- Exhaustion
- Tired and hungry between meals (hangry every 2 hours)
- Blood pressure increasing
- Difficulty remembering where you put your keys
People normalize these symptoms. “Everybody’s hungry after a meal.” “Everybody has a little brain fog.” “Pregnancy brain.” “Menopause brain.”
These are early warning signs. They’re the tip of the iceberg. Underneath, bigger metabolic problems are brewing. Inflammation. Insulin resistance. Blood vessel damage. All affecting your eyes.
Testing Your Metabolic Response to Food
You can get a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for about $50 online now. Dr. Ritamarie uses one called Stello, I use Lingo. You don’t need a doctors prescription anymore. It goes on your upper arm and connects to a phone app. One sensor lasts for 14 days.
Or get a basic finger prick meter, for instance the Relion at Walmart ($9 )plus glucose test strips (about $18 for 100 strips at Walmart.
Test before you eat. Test 45 minutes after eating. Learn which foods spike your sugar.
I discovered my big bowl of oatmeal with bananas and blueberries spiked my glucose. I switched to chia pudding with smaller portions of fruit. My metabolic markers, my energy, my memory and my waistline improved dramatically.
My sister can eat pineapple with no problem. For me, it shoots my blood sugar up. Dr. Ritamarie discovered blueberries brought her sugar to 165. She learned to eat a small handful instead of two pints.
Everyone reacts differently. Testing shows you what works for your metabolic system.
5 Pillars of Metabolic Health
1. Nutrition Real food, not ultra-processed. No added sugar. Test your blood sugar responses to customize the diet for your body.
2. Movement Short 30-60 second exercise bursts throughout the day. Do squats while brushing teeth. Take stairs instead of elevators.
3. Stress Management Simple breath and mindfulness techniques you can do in 30 seconds, several times daily. Stress directly impacts metabolic health.
4. Sleep One night of bad sleep creates temporary insulin resistance. Chronic poor sleep creates chronic metabolic problems.
5. Timing Don’t eat within 3 hours or more of bedtime. Space meals 3 to 6 hours apart. Intermittent fasting can help optimize metabolic markers.
My Personal Metabolic Success Story
I was plant-based for 6 years. I exercised my whole life. I ate salads and greens daily. But I had belly fat, brain fog, and my blood pressure was 150 over 95.
My mom has high blood pressure and diabetes. My grandfather died at 62. Bad genes run in my family.
After learning about metabolic testing and making targeted changes, my blood pressure went back down. My energy returned. My vision improved.
I’m turning 65 in a few weeks. Dr. Ritamarie is almost 70. Her parents didn’t make it that long. Her mom died at 56, her dad at 64.
She runs 5 miles daily. Her A1C is 5.2. Her fasting insulin is around 3. Her fasting glucose is 72.
This is what optimal metabolic health looks like at any age.
Your Action Plan
Don’t wait for your eye doctor to find cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration. By then, metabolic damage has been building for 10 to 20 years.
Ask your doctor for these tests: fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1C, and fasting insulin. If they won’t run them, order them through direct labs. They’re not expensive.
The ranges that predict success aren’t the “normal” ranges on your lab report. Use optimal ranges that prevent disease.
When you’re ready to learn more about natural vision improvement and how it connects to metabolic health, join us for Clear Vision Wednesday where we explore these and many more health connections together.
You can also learn more about metabolic testing and optimal ranges from the Institute of Nutritional Endocrinology.
Improving your metabolic health isn’t about doing more. It’s about removing strain, testing what works for you, and creating the foundation where your eyes can heal.
Watch the episode of Why Your Eyesight Is Getting Worse (It’s Not Age)
