Foods that Are Good for Eye Health: Improve Your Diet and Your Vision
At Deen-Gross Eye Centers in Indiana, we know that great eye care involves a combination of advanced technology, prevention, and patient education. We always give patients the tools they need to help maintain their vision and eye health after each visit. This includes ways to enhance eating habits and improve eye health in the process.
Below are some foods that are great for your eyes and that can help you avoid major vision correction treatment as you get older.
Yes, Carrots Are Great for Your Eyes
The cliché is correct: carrots are good for your eyes.
Carrots are a great source of beta-carotene, which is ideal for strengthening your night vision. Beta-carotene has also shown the ability to help slow or prevent the formation of age-related cataracts.
Other good sources of beta-carotene to consider include the following vegetables:
- Pumpkins
- Sweet potatoes
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Bell peppers
Leafy Greens Are Good In General
In addition to the vegetables mentioned above, leafy greens are also and excellent choice for a healthy diet that improves eye health. Leafy greens tend to be good sources of beta-carotene, but they are also fine sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which help prevent age-related eye problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
Great leafy greens to incorporate into your diet include:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Collard greens
- Turnip greens
- Romaine lettuce
Oranges and Grapefruits as a Source of Vitamin C
Oranges, grapefruits, and many other fruits in the citrus family are great sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, and they also contain vitamin C, which helps promote healthy blood vessels. This is particularly important given the delicate capillaries located in the retinas.
Fatty Oils from Fish Are Essential
There's good fat and there's bad fat, and fish are abundant in the kind of fat that's beneficial to your body. Salmon, sardines, and other types of fish are rich in essential fatty acids that help with your vision quality, help maintain retinal function, and can help protect your eyes from dry eye and other adverse conditions.
Nuts and Seeds Have Plenty of Health Benefits
On the note of healthy fats, nuts and seeds are also full of the kinds of fats that are beneficial to your body. In addition to the healthy fats, nuts and seeds also contain vitamin E, which helps guard the cells of the eyes from free radicals and can prevent age-related vision problems down the road.
Eggs Are Healthier Than You Think
Over the years, people have gone back and forth about the healthiness of eggs. Today, many dieticians would argue that eggs are healthy when eaten smartly, and that conservative yet regular egg consumption generally does not negatively impact cholesterol levels or triglycerides in a significant manner.
So what can eggs do for your eyes? Well, eggs contain lutein and zeaxanthin, whose benefits we've noted already, and are also a find source of vitamin A, which is ideal for protecting the corneas, preventing dry eye, and reducing the likelihood of age-related eye diseases.
Corn Can Help Prevent Age-Related Eye Issues
Corn tastes great and is great for you. Corn is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which means a meal with corn and other healthy vegetables can help prevent various kinds of age-related vision problems.
Look for Foods Rich In Zinc
Zinc deficiencies mean problems with night vision and a higher risk of cataract formation as you get older. Be sure to get a good amount of zinc into your diet by eating the following foods:
- Beans
- Liver
- Shellfish
- Oysters
- Poultry
- Red meat
Schedule a Consultation at Deen-Gross Eye Centers
For more information about issues related to eye health and what you can do to have high-quality vision for years and years to come, it's important to contact our laser eye surgery and vision care centers today. The team at Deen-Gross Eye Centers looks forward to your visit and making sure that you understand your options for treatment as well as prevention.
