Eat spinach to help stay clear-eyed

These days, Popeye is probably the most clear-sighted character in the cartoon retirement home, and he can credit that to the same diet that gave him magical strength -- spinach.

Research indicates key nutrients help slow two leading causes of vision loss and blindness -- cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, according to the American Optometric Association. And the eye-healthiest foods are leafy green vegetables -- such as spinach.

Eating carrots to improve eyesight is an old wives' tale that is off base. Carrots are nutritious, but the best foods for improving eye health are those with the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, essential fatty acids, vitamins C and E and the mineral zinc, according to eye experts.

The Optometric Association recommends 10 milligrams of lutein each day. You can get that in about half a cup of spinach or three-quarters of a cup of collards or turnip greens. The Lutein Information Bureau notes that you actually get more lutein from cooked spinach than raw spinach.

CENTRE DAILY TIMES (STATE COLLEGE, PA.)

Your eco-friendly shopping bag could be making you sick, a study says. But before you make the switch back to plastic, you might want to consider the source.

An alarming 15-page paper, published on the website for Canada's Environment and Plastics Industry Council, found that reusable grocery bags are "a breeding ground for bacteria and pose a public health risk" because of high counts of yeast, molds and bacteria.

But if you start worrying about getting an ear infection from your bag, you're being paranoid, said Harley Rotbart, a professor of microbiology and pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

The bottom line: "Germs are everywhere, and under certain circumstances, germs on surfaces can cause human infections," Rotbart said. "Common sense has to prevail. Disgusting reusable bags should be washed in hot water [and bleach]."

Don't forget to wash your hands.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE