Keep Your Eyes Healthy With These 6 Foods

By Stephen Maxwell October 12, 2020

Just like the rest of your body, your eyes also require nutrients to function properly. While wearing sunglasses, quitting smoking, and taking a break from the screen will help protect your vision, good eye health starts in the kitchen. Your eyes require a range of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to maintain their health as you age. Let’s take a look at these below.

Key nutrients that will support your eye health include:

The best way to include these nutrients in your diet is by piling your plate with them!

When it comes to your health, nothing beats a balanced whole food diet. To help you maintain your eye health, I have listed some of the best food sources to supercharge your vision below.

Green leafy vegetables

No matter whether you are team spinach or kale, both of these salad essentials contain lutein and zeaxanthin which are powerful antioxidants that help defend your eyes against free radicals damage. Cataracts are common as you age and free radicals are one of the causes to their formation. Nourishing your body with antioxidants will help to neutralize these free radicals.

Salmon

Salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which play a role in the health and development of the retina (thin layer of tissue at the back of your eye). The retina essentially enables vision, so it is important to be consuming nutrients it needs to function optimally.

Almonds

If you have hoped on the almond milk bandwagon, I have good news for you! Almonds are rich in vitamin E and regular consumption can reduce free radicals formed in the cells of your eyes which break down healthy tissue.

Carrots

This vegetable is well-known to support your eye health. While eating carrots probably won’t give you nighttime vision, their high vitamin A and beta carotene levels help protect the surface of your eye and prevent eye infections.

Sweet Potato

If you ever feel guilty after treating yourself to some sweet potato fries, just remember they contain essential nutrients for your eye health! Sweet potatoes offer a great source of vitamin E and like carrots, are also rich in beta carotene.

Eggs

Eggs are not only extremely versatile in cooking, the yolk contains lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin A, selenium and zinc. The zinc will assist your body use the other nutrients so they can help defend your eyes against harmful blue light.

Should you take eye health supplements?

Supplements aren’t a replacement for a balanced and nutritious diet but if none of the above foods are your cup of tea, you may require some additional support. Eye Health supplements contain key antioxidants to protect the structures of the eye from free radicals to maintain normal eye function.