Dr. Joseph Allen on dietary strategies for optimal eye health – Chris Beat Cancer

Dr. Joseph Allen is a plant-based optometrist in Minnesota and creator of the Doctor Eye Health channel on YouTube where he provides the latest information about eye health, ocular disease, vision products, and nutrition. His videos cover a range of topics such as eye floaters, glaucoma, dry eye syndrome, contact lenses, eyeglasses, and more.

Dr. Allen has been featured in Ask Men and Oprah Daily and was awarded the Media Advocacy award from the American Optometric Association in 2021.

My interview with Dr. Jospeh Allen motivated me to get my first ever eye exam as an adult. I’ve had 20/20 vision my whole life, but I’ve noticed in the last few years (my mid-forties) that fine print has gotten a bit harder to read. I’m pleased to report that I passed my eye exam with flying colors. No serious eye issues or red flags and my close up vision has only diminished a teensy bit. Basically I need to keep a pair of reading glasses in the kitchen to read the ridiculously tiny print on supplement bottles.

My eye health knowledge was pretty close to zero before this interview and I learned a lot, including the fact that eye exams routinely detect medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. That blew my mind!

In our interview, Dr. Joseph Allen covers the causes of common eye conditions and eyesight deterioration, eye myths, foods that can improve or worse your vision, and so much more. Enjoy!

Watch our interview below, or listen to it on the Chris Beat Cancer podcast on iTunes or Spotify.


Download unedited interview transcript here

Show Notes
-Why eyesight deteriorates with age [1:40]
-Do glasses weaken your vision? [7:32]
-How Dr. Allen discovered a plant-based diet [15:22]
-How meat increases your risk of eye disease [19:15]
-Cardiovascular disease and eye problems go hand-in-hand [25:13]
-Eye floaters explained [28:55]
-The gut-retinal axis: the microbiome and eye health [32:52]
-Reduce your risk of cataracts with a plant-based diet [35:34]
-Common eye myths debunked [37:45]
-How getting healthy can improve your vision [40:53]
-The benefits of DHA for retinal health [42:40]
-The importance of a plant-based diet for retinal health [49:25]
-The #1 vegetable for eye health. It’s not carrots! [52:28]
-Reasons you should get an eye exam [53:30]
-Other health issues that can be detected during an eye exam [54:57]

Connect with Dr. Allen:
YouTube: @doctoreyehealth
Facebook: Doctor Eye Health
Instagram: @doctoreyehealth
Website: https://doctoreyehealth.com

Related links from interview:
Dr. Michael Donaldson on healing with juicing, raw food, and the Hallelujah diet
Characterizing the Retinal Phenotype in the High-Fat Diet and Western Diet Mouse Models of Prediabetes