ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Add these Foods to Your Diet to Maintain Your Eye Health

Updated on December 5, 2020
centfie profile image

This article was inspired by personal reasons. I do not want to lose my vision and so I did some research and thought I should share.

Which is the best food for your eyes?

Eyes are delicate organs which need to be taken care of because losing them is traumatic. You can improve your eyesight naturally, or maintain their functioning for longer through a keen selection of the food you eat. As Hippocrates stated, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."

The best foods for your vision contain certain compounds which you need for your eyes because they are present in different parts of the eye. This information, though simply presented, is based on in-depth research to ensure that it is factful and based on expert conclusions which have been undertaken by eye health experts.

eyes
eyes

Nutrients Needed for Eye Health

Vitamins

Vitamin A has an important role in eye health since it is found in the retina and supports night vision.

Vitamin C is a protective agent for the eye. It may help to reduce the risk of getting eye problems associated with cataracts, glaucoma, and macula (center of vision) degeneration.

Vitamin E is also a powerful antioxidant needed by the macula region of the eye to reduce degeneration. It also helps to prevent eye diseases such as cataracts.

Minerals

Zinc helps to reduce the chance of macular degeneration hence, slows down aging-related blindness.

Copper also plays a protective role for the eye by reducing macular degeneration and development of cataracts

Selenium is a facilitator of the Vitamin E action in the body. Together they protect against cell damage in the eye.

Sulfur is an important mineral for the eye because it can keep away cataracts.

Carotenoids

Carotenoids are natural yellow pigments in plants which are also present in the macular region of the eye, specifically the Macula lutea. Research in vision has established that carotenoids are necessary nutrients for the eyes. Combine foods containing carotenoids with dietary fats to enhance their absorption in the body.

Lutein is a pigment found in plants, which plays a role in the prevention of eye complications associated with aging such as macular degeneration.

Zeaxanthin occurs together with lutein in certain plants and is suggested to have similar importance to the eyes like lutein.

Omega 3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids promote eye health by improving the functioning of the retina. Omega-3s help to fight eye diseases that affect the retina and tear glands.

Now that you know which compounds you require for optimum eye health, continue reading to see a list of foods that contain these beneficial nutrients for preserving vision.

Emergen-C 1000mg Vitamin C Powder for Daily Immune Support Caffeine Free Vitamin C Supplements with Zinc and Manganese, B Vitamins and Electrolytes, Super Orange Flavor -60 Count(Pack of 1)
Emergen-C 1000mg Vitamin C Powder for Daily Immune Support Caffeine Free Vitamin C Supplements with Zinc and Manganese, B Vitamins and Electrolytes, Super Orange Flavor -60 Count(Pack of 1)
My friend asked me if I am on vitamins yet in these corona times. So, I decided to get some vitamin C supplements which are not only immune-boosting but also flavorful. Emergen-C is so far going well. I purchased the powdered form but it's also available in chewable form as gum. Also, good for the whole household as it is caffeine-free. Try it out and improve your all-around health.
 

How to Improve Your Eyesight

Carotenoids are natural yellow pigments in plants which are also present in the macular region of the eye, specifically the Macula lutea. Research in vision has established that carotenoids are necessary nutrients for the eyes.

Carotenoids Vegetables
Carotenoid fruits
carrots,sweetpotatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, peas, butternut (squash)
watermelon, oranges, tangerines,mangoes, plums, apricots,

Summarised table of vegetables and fruits with carotenoids

Best Foods for Maintaining Your Eyesight

This list of eye foods contains the aforementioned nutrients which protect and improve the functioning of the eyes. Undoing damage is difficult, but you can prevent more damage by eating healthy types of food to meet your eye nutrition needs.

1. Leafy Green Vegetables. They have plenty of nutrients which are beneficial for your eyes like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and carotenoids. Leafy green vegetables include spinach, kale, broccoli, and collards. Eat them raw or cook a bit to avoid losing the essential vitamins.

2. Orange or yellow vegetables. The bright color is a sign of the presence of carotenoids in the form of beta-carotene (which converts to Vitamin A) whose presence in your eye is of the greatest benefit. Think of carrots, capsicum, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

3. Citrus Fruits. Grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, and lemons are rich in Vitamin C, hence they contain antioxidant properties which are important for the eye. Meaning that they prevent cell damage in the eye which might be a result of oxidation.

4. Legumes. There are so many legumes available in nature which you can prepare deliciously to help your eyes. Examples include beans, black-eyed peas, and peanuts. Legumes are a great source of zinc.


Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food

— Hippocrates

5. Meats. Beef, liver, and chicken are high in zinc thus, they good foods for your eyes

6. Eggs. Hard-boiled eggs will give you Vitamin E. The egg yolk is especially the richest part. It is simple to boil an egg and eat it as a source of Vitamin E. Also, lutein and zeaxanthin are present in eggs

7. Seeds. Eat seeds rich in Vitamin E, Omega 3 fatty acids or zinc. They include pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds. The best thing about these seeds is that they are tasty and nutritious snacks.

8. Oily fish. They contain Vitamin A and Omega 3 fatty acids which the eye needs. Oily fish include tuna, salmon, and sardines.


nuts
nuts

If you have problems with your eye it is advisable to see an eye doctor and seek medical help as soon as possible.

9. Dairy products. Milk, yogurt, butter, and cheese have the valuable Vitamin A, E, zinc, and selenium which your eyes require for survival.

10. Other Fruits. Apart from citrus fruits, apples, peaches, berries (bilberry, strawberry, raspberries) have Vitamins which the eye needs. Avocadoes are a good source of lutein and amounts of zeaxanthin.

11. Onions and garlic. They have high sulfur content which your eye lens requires for strength and proper functioning. Also, onions and garlic help to reduce inflammation in various parts of the human body including in the eyes.

berries
berries

They say eyes are windows to the soul. Whether you believe that or not, the fact is eyes are important so you should take proper care of them. One way of caring for your eyes is by having a regular healthy and balanced diet. As you have read in this article, it is clear that lots of food in nature are good for your eyesight and they will benefit other parts of your body as well.


References

Abdel-Aal, E. S. M., Akhtar, H., Zaheer, K., & Ali, R. (2013). Dietary sources of lutein and zeaxanthin carotenoids and their role in eye health. Nutrients, 5(4), 1169-1185.

Augustin, A. J. (Ed.). (2005). Nutrition and The Eye: Basic and Clinical Research (Vol. 38). Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers.

Congdon, N. G., & West, K. P. (1999). Nutrition and the eye. Current opinion in ophthalmology, 10(6), 464-473.

Demmig-Adams, B., & Adams, R. B. (2013). Eye nutrition in context: mechanisms, implementation, and future directions. Nutrients, 5(7), 2483-2501.



working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)