One of the many advantages of a healthy diet is that it supports your vision. Certain nutrients are essential for your eyes; maintain your eye health by choosing foods that are rich in these nutrients. Many factors contribute to your eye health, so consult a specialist if you are having trouble with your vision.
Fruits And Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables can be important foods to promote eye health because of their vitamin A and vitamin C content. According to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center, vitamin A is essential for healthy vision because it allows your eyes to detect light as part of the visual cycle. Mild deficiency can cause night blindness, and fruits and vegetables with vitamin A include orange vegetables such as carrots, butternut squash and sweet potatoes, spinach, pumpkin, mango and cantaloupe. Good sources of vitamin C include oranges and other citrus fruits, bell peppers, strawberries, and vitamin C may reduce your risk of cataracts. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that a healthy adult on a 2,000-calorie diet eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
Nuts
Nuts may be part of a balanced diet for eye health as they are rich i vitamin E and zinc. The Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center states that cataracts result from oxidationn in the eye, and vitamin E is an antioxidant vitamin that may help prevent cataracts. Also, a vitamin E deficiency can lead to retinal damage. Vitamin E is in all kinds of nuts including almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts, and you can also get it from avocados, peanuts and vegetable oils such as canola, soybean and sunflower. Nuts also have zinc, which is necessary for proper vitamin A function, and a zinc deficiency can cause night blindness. Along with nuts, you can get zinc from seafood, meat, poultry, milk, yogurt and beans. There are many different kinds of vision problems, so if you are concerned about your eye health, talk to a doctor.
Fatty Fish
Foods that may promote eye health include fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel and oysters, which are all sources of omega-three fats. Omega-three fatty acids are essential in your diet because your body cannot make them, but you need them for healthy cell structure, proper nervous system function and eye development. The Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center states that you need omega-three fats for the visual cycle, and they also allow the proper development of the retina. Fish oils from fatty fish provide the long-chain omega-three fats called DHA and EPA, and vegetarian sources of omega-three fatty acids include flaxseed oil, walnuts and canola oil.
