Growing evidence suggests that your eyes can benefit from good nutrition just as much as the rest of your body.  Conversely, poor dietary choices or lack of certain elements in your daily calorie intake can put you at greater risk for vision problems and certain types of eye disease.  For example, lack of Vitamin A is what causes many cases of childhood blindness in developing countries, due to lack of fresh produce, protein and animal/plant fats.  Anti-oxidants such as Lutein and Zeaxanthin have been proven to be beneficial in preventing vision loss in macular degeneration and cataracts, two of the most common eye diseases.  And intake of Omega-3 Essential fatty acids helps to prevent dry eyes and may also help prevent macular degeneration.

Recommended Food Guideline for your Eyes

So what do you do to ensure you’re making the right choices for healthy eyes?  Following is a sample guideline for foods to included on a regular basis to keep you seeing clearly:

• Vitamin C: Sweet peppers (Red or green), kale, strawberries, broccoli, oranges, cantaloupe
• Vitamin A: Cod liver oil, liver, carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash
• Vitamin E: Sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts
• Lutein and Zeaxanthin: Spinach, kale, collard greens, most leafy green vegetables
• Bioflavinoids: Citrus fruits, cherries, grapes, plums
• Zinc: Oysters, red meat, nuts
• Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids: Cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines)

Avoid excessive Omega-6 and -9 fatty acids which are found in processed, refined and fried foods.  These can pose a problem if out of balance to Omega-3 intake and may lead to increased risk for macular degeneration as well as heart disease, cancer, arthritis, asthma and depression.  Choose fresh produce whenever possible, but if not possible try to use frozen instead of canned (the canning process tends to decrease the availability of certain vitamins).

Your optometrist may make specific recommendations for diet and vitamin intake if your exam results reveal risks for certain eye conditions.

Book your Eye Exam