It’s amazing the impact food has on just about every aspect of our body, from head to toe. This includes our eyes. Studies have shown that certain foods can actually help slow down the aging of the eye. This is because a significant part of eye health includes ensuring the eyes get all the necessary nutrients needed to function properly. These nutrients include vitamins A and C, carotenoids, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Although food may not completely protect your eyes from poor eyesight and distorted vision, there are lots of superfoods that can help keep your eyes functioning at their best for a longer period of time. Want to protect your eyes and keep blurry vision and eye diseases at bay? Try adding these superfoods to your diet to support your eye health as well as the rest of your body.
Orange Colored Fruits and Vegetables
How many times were you told growing up that you needed to eat carrots to protect your eyesight? Well, there may be some truth behind that classic myth. Carrots, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes are all excellent sources of vitamin A. For reference, a sweet potato has more than 200 percent of the daily dose of vitamin A doctors recommend for eye health.
Vitamin A is essential in protecting the cells in your eyes and throughout your body. It also helps to maintain a healthy and clear cornea and prevent night blindness. Orange-colored fruits such as oranges, cantaloupe, and apricots are also great sources of vitamin A.
Dark Green Vegetables
Spinach, broccoli, kale, and other dark green vegetables help control free radicals from damaging the cells in your eyes. This is thanks to their abundance of carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These nutrients are vital to protecting the macula, the area of your eye that gives you your central, most detailed vision. In addition, dark leafy greens are also rich in vitamins A, C, and E – all of which help to protect your eyes and lower your risk for long-term eye diseases, including AMD and cataracts.
Oily Cold-Water Fish
We all know that omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, sardines, mackerel, and tuna are essential for brain health. But this important antioxidant is valuable for reducing your risk of eye diseases as well. Oily fish is one of the top superfoods for eye health. One reason is that DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a type of omega 3, is found in your retina. So it’s believed that by consuming it in your diet, you’re ensuring retinal health. In addition to protecting retinal health, omega-3s are good for tear function, helping to combat dry eye.
Deeply Colored Berries
Violet and ruby-hued berries are absolute gems at providing extra vision protection. Blueberries, bilberries, raspberries, cranberries, as well as other deeply colored berries, are rich in anthocyanins, potent antioxidants that help to prevent free radical damage, such as that from UV light exposure. In addition, research has found that they can also help to improve vision for those suffering from glaucoma or other diseases related to optic nerve damage.
Dark Chocolate
As if you needed another reason to indulge. A 2018 study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that adults who ate a bar of dark chocolate could literally see better than those who consumed milk chocolate. The dark chocolate eaters had greater improvements in visual clarity and contrast sensitivity. The cocoa in dark chocolate contains antioxidants called flavonoids, which are responsible for its many health benefits. The higher the cocoa content, the more flavonoids. However, it’s important to remember to eat even dark chocolate in moderation.
A Healthy, Balanced Diet – Good for the Eyes and the Body
While your diet isn’t the only factor that can make or break your health, it is certainly one you have complete control over. Eating the superfoods mentioned above can significantly impact your overall eye health as you age.
Your diet correlates with many other health conditions, such as diabetes, which alone can have a severe impact on your eye health. That’s why it’s important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet low in sugar and saturated fat to help ward off other complicating health conditions. Take the preventative steps and do what you can to contribute to the health of your eyes and your body.