Foods That Can Help With Your Eye Health

Vision is one of the most important things in our lives. None of us can imagine what we’ll go through if we lose our vision! And, for a good vision, we need healthy eyes. Obviously, vision deteriorates as we age, but we can always take certain steps to preserve our good vision for longer. There are many things that we can do such as exercising our eyes, not straining them for too long, and avoiding over-exposure to digital screens, but one very important thing that we have heard ever since our teachers taught us in school is that we need to eat healthy. While our teachers always told us to eat green leafy vegetables and carrots to help with good vision, there is actually a whole long list of foods that can do good for our eyes.

Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E are all the vitamins required by our eyes to keep them healthy. Then, there are also omega-3 fatty acids that can provide the required protection to the eyes from age-related eye damage, thus reducing the risk of serious eye conditions. Let us now look into detail as to which foods can provide you with all the benefits of these vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids.

Vitamin A

• Vitamin A safeguards the cornea, and also helps to see in low light situations. Egg yolks are the best food containing Vitamin A, along with zinc that works great for the retina, and Zeaxanthin that increases vision acuity.
• Dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens are also rich in both Vitamin A and Zeaxanthin. They are also rich in lutein and carotenoid, which help prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
• Dairy products like milk and yoghurt also contain vitamin A, along with zinc that can help in transferring Vitamin A from the liver to the eyes; also improving night vision.
• Sweet potatoes are another food that contain beta carotene in large volumes, which is the precursor of Vitamin A. Along with this, sweet potatoes also contain some amounts of Vitamin C and Vitamin E.
• Carrots, one of our teachers’ and parents’ favourite suggestions, are great sources of beta carotene too, which gets converted into Vitamin A, which helps the retina to absorb light better.
• Lean meat and poultry are also rich sources of zinc, which helps to bring Vitamin A from the liver to the retina of the eye, also preventing age-related reduced vision and macular degeneration.
• Summer squash and winter squash are also great sources of Vitamin A and zinc. Winter squash also contains Omega-3 fatty acids in addition.

Vitamin C

• Citrus fruits are the best known foods that contain Vitamin C, which prove as potent antioxidants that can protect the eyes from various diseases. Some of the best citrus fruits include oranges, lemons, and grape fruit.

Vitamin E

• Nuts and legumes are the best sources of Vitamin E, helping the eyes against age-related damage. Vitamin E protects the eyes from an unstable molecule, called free radical, which targets the healthy tissues of the eyes. Some of the best nuts and legumes that can help include almonds, walnuts, peanuts, Brazil nuts, and lentils. Almonds are the best known to delay the progression of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Omega-3 fatty acids

• Fish is one of the richest foods in terms of Omega-3 fatty acids. Consuming fish can protect our eyes from macular degeneration and dry eye syndrome. Fishes have oil in their gut and body tissues, which contain a high level of Omega-3 fatty acids. Fish like salmon, tuna, trout, and sardines can help the most. Then, there are also Omega-3 supplements, made from fish oil, which you can consume, provided they are prescribed to you by a doctor.
• Some seeds like chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds are also highly rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.

Now that you have an extensive list of all the fruits, vegetables, meat, and other foods that can help provide the required vitamins and Omega-3 fatty acids for your eyes, you can plan up the best diet for yourself! But, we’d rather have you get your eyes first checked at the best eye hospital in Mumbai, one like Arohi Eye Hospital, and consult the doctors to help understand the condition of your eyes, so that an appropriate diet can be planned for the betterment of your eyes.

Dr. Shradha Goel

Dr. Shradha Goel, Chief Surgeon at Arohi Eye Hospital, is a renowned Phaco-LASIK surgeon with over 10,000 surgeries to her credit. She earned her MBBS from Grant Medical College, Mumbai, and a Master’s in Ophthalmology from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. As a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr. Goel specialises in LASIK, refractive errors, and cataract treatments.