Changes in diet can do wonders for your health and in particular to your eyes.
A growing amount of evidence suggests that eating certain foods can help to prevent the development of eye disorders and low vision. Vitamin A and C, omega 3, and antioxidant nutrients are good examples of foods that can improve eyesight and certain eye conditions.
Unfortunately, changing your diet alone is not enough to ensure enhanced vision.
You also need to exclude unhealthy foods, along with changing other bad lifestyle habits (like smoking) as well. Stay away from high-sugar foods and refined carbohydrates, and try to eat with moderation.
Remember, too much of anything is bad!
#1 Vitamin A
Vitamin A as found in liver meat, eggs, milk, butter, cheese, and liver oil proves useful in providing vision benefits, as they contain retinyl palmitate (vitamin A). This is converted to retinol, a chemical substance that the eye needs to function correctly.
The body produces retinol as we get older, but as with many things, the body’s ability to naturally produce it slows. That is why a daily dose of vitamin A is so important in the later stages of life.
Vitamin A also helps prevent glaucoma, a vision impairment that occurs mostly among people in their forties or fifties. Glaucoma, is a serious eye condition, where certain cells within the eye are damaged or lost, generally by an increase in intraocular pressure that can, if left untreated, lead to complete loss of vision.
Vitamin A deficiency is a large problem that can lead to serious eye problems. However, by eating an appropriate amount of animal based vitamin A, such as those mentioned above, you will give your body the best weapon against such vision impairments.
#2 Vitamin C
No diet to improve eyesight is complete without vitamin C, found in many juices, berries, and in high levels in fruits, especially kiwi fruit and oranges.
This vitamin has a positive effect against vision impairments like edema of the retina, which is where an accumulation of fluid beneath the skin of the eye occurs and cataracts.
#3 Antioxidant nutrients
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye condition that generally affects people from their forties or fifties onward.
Common symptoms are blurred vision, blind spots, poor night vision, or partial to complete blindness. To prevent or minimize the risk of AMD, antioxidant nutrients are proven to have a positive effect.
They are found in their highest levels in general vegetables and fruits. Below is a short list of some that are particularly useful in providing the body with these nutrients:
- Spinach
- Courgettes
- Kale
- Melon
- Peas
- Pumpkin
- Prunes
- Brussels sprouts
- Peaches
- Sweet potatoes
#4 Omega 3
Omega 3 is also particularly good in the effort to prevent glaucoma, as it has been found (in several experiments by top American Ophthalmologists) to decrease eye pressure by up to 13 percent.
By eating salmon, broccoli, fish oil, liver oil, walnuts, cabbage and green leafy vegetables you can thus lower the risk of intraocular pressure, and therefore glaucoma.
Listed above are the recommended ingredients for an eye-healthy diet. Omega 3, vitamin A and C, and antioxidant nutrients are all great for your eye sight, and can contribute to successfully maintaining it.
For further information on how diet affects your eyesight, it is recommended that you seek an appointment with your local eye doctor, and ensure you go for regular check ups.
Please note this is a guest post by a qualified optometrist.
Other visitors enjoyed these...
{ 0 comments… add one now }
{ 3 trackbacks }