Top 10 Foods for Healthy Eyes

April 23rd, 2020
fruits and vegetables

Healthier eyes might be just a few bites away! The vitamins and nutrients in these eight foods are vital for your vision.

A nutritionally-balanced diet can be hugely beneficial for nearly every part of your body, and the eyes are no exception. People often think that failing eyesight is an inevitable result of aging or eye strain, but poor vision is far from preordained. A healthy lifestyle — with a focus on the vitamins that are particularly beneficial for your eyes — can significantly reduce your risk of developing eye health problems. 

Read on to learn what foods can give your eye health a boost. 

Vitamins and Nutrients for Better Eye Health

There are a number of vitamins that can help you keep your eyes healthy. The main ones are: 

  • Vitamin A
  • Carotenoids, which are plant-based forms of vitamin A that are converted into vitamin A in your body.
  • Vitamin C
  • Bioflavonoids
  • Vitamin E
  • Omega-3

These vitamins and nutrients can help reduce your risk of experiencing macular degeneration and cataracts, both of which can result in significant vision loss, later in life. These nutrients can also help prevent dry eyes and poor night vision. 

8 Best Foods for Healthy Eyes

Conveniently, many foods that are beneficial for your overall health also contain the vitamins needed to give your eye health a boost. Colorful fruits and vegetables of all varieties are particularly beneficial. If you want to take a more targeted approach to your eating that focuses on eye health, these ten foods are a good place to start:

  1. Carrots: Carrots have a reputation for improving vision, and for good reason. One of the most vitamin A-rich vegetables, two carrots provide approximately four times the recommended daily allowance (RDA). Carrots are also rich in beta-carotene, which, along with vitamin A, helps protect against eye diseases.

    There are many great ways to eat carrots. You can eat them raw as an easy snack or chop them up and toss them into soups and salads. You can even use them with dips in place of chips.
  2. Dark, leafy greens: This category includes greens like kale, spinach, and collards. These leafy green vegetables are rich in both lutein and zeaxanthin. They are also a good source of eye-friendly vitamins C and E. Eat them raw in salads, make them into chips, or add them to soups and other dishes.
  3. Sweet red peppers: Bell peppers give you the most vitamin C per calorie of any fruit or vegetable. They have more than three times the vitamin C of orange juice. Note that it’s best to eat the peppers raw; that’s because heat breaks down vitamin C, reducing the eye health benefits.
  4. Fish: Oily fish have high levels of eye-friendly omega-3s. Salmon and tuna are particularly beneficial for reducing the risks of dry eye and macular degeneration.
  5. Eggs: Eggs are a great package deal when it comes to eye health. They are an excellent source of lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin C, and vitamin E. They also contain zinc, which helps your body process and use the lutein and zeaxanthin in the yolk.
  6. Nuts and seeds: Nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and in vitamin E. Seeds, especially sunflower seeds, also have a lot of vitamin E. Nuts and seeds make a great, easy snack. You can eat them raw or roasted and salted.
  7. Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are all high in vitamin C. These fruits make great juices and snacks.
  8. Blueberries: Blueberries are rich in antioxidants that help maintain the health of the cornea and the blood vessels in your eye.

If you are interested in learning more about how your diet can help your eye health, schedule an appointment with us at Kleiman Evangelista Eye Centers of Texas. Our eye specialists can suggest natural ways to improve your eye health. If you’re already experiencing vision loss or an eye condition, they can guide you through the process of more intensive interventions.

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