Eat These Eye-Healthy Foods To Boost Your Vision

Eyes are often called the “windows of the soul” and their health is essential to our wellbeing. For a long time, carrots have been advocated as the eye superfood. Although foods like carrots have proven to contribute to promoting eye health, other foods that promote healthy vision often go under the radar.

Are Carrots Still Considered A ‘Super-Vision’ Food?

Before jumping into other foods that contribute to eye health, let’s first review if the super carrot statement is actually true. Do carrots actually improve or sustain our vision, or is this just a myth? According to research, carrots are still relevant in the eyesight game. You can rest assured that what your mother has been telling you all these years still holds true.

According to registered dietician, author, and journalist Carolyn O’Neil, “Carrots still rank high on the eyesight-saving menu.” Why, do you ask? Carrot is perfect for eye health because of its beta-carotene contents, which the body uses to make vitamin A.

Emily Chew, deputy clinical director at the National Eye Institute stresses that, “Vitamin A helps the eye convert light into a signal that can be transmitted to the brain, allowing people to see under conditions. In addition, the cornea can literally disappear if the body does not get enough vitamin A.” According to Chew’s research, “…every year children become blind as a result of vitamin A deficiency.” These numbers prove that the quick solution to improving your overall visual health is by eating beta-carotene rich foods like carrots.

Now let’s explore the other foods making their way up the ranks as having “super-vision” powers.

Super Berries for Super Vision

Blueberries have long been associated with heart and brain health, and can now add vision health to its list of benefits. According to the US Highbush Blueberry Council of Norway, blueberries helped aid eyesight for the Royal Air Force (RAF) bomber pilots in World War II. They were reported, “to consume blueberries to help with night vision.”

The fruit’s benefits also extend over to the Far East in Japan where a study showed that, “consuming blueberries contributed to a reduction in eye strain and an improvement in eyesight.” It is believed that the blue pigment in the berry called anthocyanin is what makes blueberries a top contender in eye health.

Spinach & Leafy Greens

Spinach isn’t just known to build muscles like Popeye—it’s also known to attribute to great eye health. Not only does spinach contain vitamin A, which protects against night blindness as discussed above, but it also contains several other nutrients known to contribute to eye health. In a Seattle Times article, Joey Holleman believes that green leafy vegetables –including spinach—produce more eye benefits that carrots altogether. In addition to carrots, green leafys like spinach contain “the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, essential fatty acids, vitamins C and E, and the mineral zinc which are also imperative for better vision,” according to eye experts.

Get Your Omega-3 Fatty Acids From Fish

Salmon and other cold-water fish including mackerel, sardines, and tuna all contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to combat macular degeneration, dry eyes, and cataracts. According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), “ by 2050, the number of people in the U.S. with cataracts is expected to double from 24.4 million to about 50 million.” Ensuring that you eat a sufficient amount of Omega-3 fatty acids will help you to avoid being part of that statistic.

I understand that getting enough Omega-3s on a daily basis can be a challenge. For that reason, I often recommend supplementation with Diamond Nutritionals’ Balanced Omega Formula. Read about the benefits of this ultra high-grade product.

Although there are several other foods that can have you on your way to improved eye health, including eggs, nuts, and even sunflower seeds; carrots, blueberries, spinach, and cold-water fish are top contenders for vision health. Eat organic when possible. Ensuring that the foods you consume contain lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamins A, C, and E, omega-3’s, and zinc will get you on the right track to great vision.

Consuming enough servings of these wonderful fruits and vegetables on a daily basis is also a challenge for many of us. I have recommended Diamond Nutritionals’ Vision Support Formula for many years to maintain healthy vision. Read about the natural ingredients and benefits of this unique ophthalmologist-formulated product.

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Photo credits:

• Scott Schopieray / CC BY-SA 2.0
• Jason Bachman / CC BY-ND 2.0