Sea Vegetables & Eye Nutrition

Scientific evidence has identified certain nutrients as important allies against widespread eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts, according to the American Optometric Association. Sea vegetables -- edible sea plants that belong to the algae family -- provide many of these nutrients, including vitamin C, according to the Vegetarian Society. The addition of sea vegetables rich in eye-friendly nutrition might keep vision problems at bay.

Types

Sea vegetables live in the northern Pacific coasts of Japan, the Philippines, Korea, China, and the northern Atlantic coasts of Canada, Iceland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. Color typically categorizes sea vegetables, according to the Vegetarian Society. Green sea vegetables, generally speaking, grow in shallow waters, brown in medium depths, and red sea vegetables in deeper waters. Examples of green sea vegetables include nori, aonori and laver. Kelp is a brown sea vegetable, as is arame. Commonly harvested red sea vegetables include dulse, agar, and carragheen.

Vitamin C

Research indicates that adequate daily intake of vitamin C -- 90 mg/day for males and 75 mg/day for females -- significantly lowers the risk of cataract development and retards the progression of visual acuity loss and age-related macular degeneration, according to the American Optometric Association. Sea vegetables such as laver and dulse provide excellent sources of vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A plays a fundamental role in vision and eye health because it supports and maintains the healthy surface linings of the eyes, according to the National Institutes of Health. Vitamin A comes in two classes, depending upon whether the source is animal or plant. Preformed vitamin A comes from animal foods sources. The body absorbs it as retinol. Plant sources such as the sea vegetable nori provide provitamin A carotenoid.

Considerations

Early symptoms of nutritional deficiency that affect the eye include night blindness, an indication that not enough vitamin A exists in the diet. According to the National Institutes of Health, certain pre-existing conditions such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and pancreatic disorders can inhibit vitamin A absorption. Also, vegans can derive a certain degree of vitamin A from sea vegetables such as nori.

Warning

Sea vegetables from polluted waters soak up heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium, according to the wellness website Six Wise. Choose sea vegetables from sources that harvest from clean waters and ensure that the plants have also been tested for pesticides, herbicides, and microbiological contaminants.