A good diet certainly plays an important role in the optimal functioning of our body, especially that of our eyes. Of course, it improves our sight, slows down its degradation, and thus preserves our eye health.
Even better, it helps reduce the risk of contracting certain diseases such as cataracts or glaucoma. It can even help us avoid them or delay their development as much as possible. Obviously, we must favor certain foods to ensure the good health of our eyes. The details with the list of foods good for your eyes.
What Nutrients are Essential for Good Eyesight?
Although wearing contact lenses improves vision, a proper diet is also crucial. And this, both to have a beautiful view and to guarantee the health of our eyes.
Indeed, as Hippocrates said so well: “Let your food be your first medicine”. Thus, for the good of our eyes, it is strongly advised to adopt a diet rich in micronutrients. Of course, it is better to eat certain foods, because these contain the nutrients essential to our vision.
Eye health: Stock Up on Vitamins!
In addition to promoting good eyesight, vitamins also help keep our eyes healthy. Moreover, a vitamin deficiency would aggravate age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a degenerative disease of the retina.
Therefore, to protect our eyes, it is advisable to favor foods rich in vitamins A, C, and E. In addition to this trio, vitamin D is also a nutrient that should not be neglected.
Specifically, vitamin A ensures the proper functioning of the retina. Indispensable at any age, it actually plays an important role in:
- The transformation of light into a nerve impulse
- Night vision (adaptation of the eye to darkness)
As for vitamin C, it is distinguished by its antioxidant properties and therefore its anti-aging capacity. It contributes to the maintenance of ocular health, in particular the retinal cells. In addition, according to JLR Eye hospital, it would reduce the risk of developing cataracts. But also to slow the progression of macular degeneration and the loss of visual acuity.
Vitamin E is also one of the powerful antioxidants. As a result, it would protect the cells of our eyes against the harmful effects of free radicals. Like vitamin C, it would also be an effective agent against the appearance of cataracts and AMD.
As for vitamin D, it would help reduce dry eyes and its symptoms. It would also reduce the risk of deterioration of sight and development of macular degeneration.
Increase Your Omega-3 Intake for Good Eyesight
Beneficial for the whole body, omega-3s play a major role in visual health. As a reminder, these are polyunsaturated fatty acids essential to the body. Moreover, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is an omega-3 that is found in high concentrations in the retina. It takes part in the renewal of the photosensitive cells of the retina. It would therefore allow:
- Maintain and repair the optic nerve
- Reduce the risk of getting glaucoma
- Improve eye comfort and maintain normal vision
- Prevent the risks of age-related macular degeneration
Essential Pigments to Make Sure for Eye Health
Like some vitamins, lutein and zeaxanthin are also good sources of antioxidants. Classified among the carotenoids, they would thus make it possible to:
- Prevent and slow the progression of certain age-related eye diseases such as AMD and cataracts
- Neutralize free radicals that can damage the retina
- Filter out blue light from UV rays
- Improve visual acuity, especially at night
In fact, both lutein and zeaxanthin are pigments that give food its color, especially certain fruits and vegetables.
Combined with our visual comfort, the first has a color that ranges, depending on its concentration, from light yellow to dark orange. Of a yellowish color, the second is a natural pigment that helps to maintain sight. They work in synergy to protect the eye effectively.
Another Nutrient that Promotes Good Eyesight: Zinc
Zinc is also one of the essential nutrients for good eye health. This essential mineral ensures the transport of vitamin A from the liver to the retina. It, therefore, plays a key role in the production of melanin, a pigment that helps protect the eyes.
Present in high concentration in the organ of sight, particularly the retina and the choroid, zinc is also part of the antioxidant trace elements. Thus, it participates in the fight against the aging of eye cells.
Recommended for the treatment of macular degeneration, it would also be effective in preventing the appearance of vision problems. Namely night blindness, cataracts, or global visual impairment.
Good to know
It is essential to respect the recommended daily allowances for each of these essential nutrients for sight. A bad dosage (deficiency or excess) can indeed harm the health of our eyes.
Top Foods Good for the Eyes not to Lose Sight of
Whether you wear daily lenses or monthly lenses, take care of your eyes by eating the right foods. Here is a list of good foods to favor for your eye health:
- Cherry tomato: antioxidant food rich in vitamins A, B, C, and E as well as quercetin
- Carrot: vegetable known for its richness in vitamin A and its antioxidant properties
- Blueberry: red fruit that contains a lot of antioxidants and vitamin C
- Blackberry: red fruit with the same characteristics as the blueberry
- Nuts: food that is full of omega-3 and vitamin E
- Fatty fish: very good source of long-chain omega-3s (examples of fatty fish to favor: mackerel, sardines, salmon, and herring)
- Shrimp: excellent source of long-chain fatty acids
- Egg: a real concentrate of nutrients (lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc, vitamins A, D, E…)
- Almond: oleaginous fruit very rich in vitamin E and antioxidants
- Apple: fruit with an exceptional antioxidant capacity that contains a lot of vitamins B, C, and E
- Citrus: orange, mandarin, clementine… are powerful antioxidants and a good source of vitamin C
- Spinach: a gold mine of antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin
- Asparagus: food that is full of vitamins A, B, and C
- Corn: the only cereal that contains carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin)
- Broccoli: food with the same specificities as spinach
- Green cabbage: light vegetable full of vitamin C.
In short, a balanced diet rich in good nutrients (zinc, vitamin A, omega-3, etc.) is essential. Eggs, kale, spinach, nuts, citrus fruits, oily fish… there’s plenty to choose from for excellent eyesight. It is according to the tastes and desires of each.
