Swiss Chard Packs a Carotenoid Punch

Did you know that Swiss chard is supercharged with pro vitamin A (carotenoids), with one ounce of boiled and drained Swiss chard supplying your body with a staggering 34% of the Daily Value for pro vitamin A (according to USDA s nutrition facts data for Swiss chard). Carotenoids and vitamin A play several important roles in the human body, but their best known health benefits relate to their eye health protecting properties. One case control study found that the study participants who were in the highest quintile of carotenoid intake had a 43% lower risk for age related macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness, compared with those in the lowest quintile. These compelling findings were published in the November 1994 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.