Loss of vision can be devastating and scary, and significantly impacts an individual's life. Depending on the underlying cause of impaired vision, vitamins might be able to reduce your risk of vision loss or prevent further damage. Vitamins A and C are important for healthy vision, and many fruits are good dietary sources of these vitamins. If you have vision problems, talk with your doctor about whether increasing consumption of these vitamins through diet can provide benefits to your vision.
Step 1
Eat fruits such as watermelon, papaya, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi, mango, and citrus fruits and fruit juices to get vitamin C. Try to eat the fruit as fresh fruit because vitamin C is sensitive to light, heat and air, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center. This vitamin helps improve vision in individuals with uveitis, or eye inflammation, and might help reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
Step 2
Eat yellow/orange fruits such as cantaloupe, peaches, apricots and mangoes. These contain beta-carotene, which the body can use to make vitamin A, increasing the amount of this vitamin in your body, says the University of Maryland. A lack of vitamin A can cause vision problems and night blindness, and this vitamin can help reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
Step 3
Avoid taking vitamin A supplements if you are consciously increasing the amount of fortified fruits and food you eat. Talk with your doctor about appropriate amounts of vitamin A, which is fat soluble, as an excess can be toxic and cause adverse side effects.
Tips and Warnings
- Smoking cigarettes can interfere with your body's absorption of vitamin C, and drinking large amounts of alcohol can impair vitamin A absorption, so talk with your doctor if you smoke or drink regularly to see if you need to be further supplementing your diet. Other dietary sources of vitamins A and C include eggs, dairy products, liver, leafy green vegetables and potatoes.
- Do not try to treat blindness or vision problems by yourself. See your physician or eye doctor to determine the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment. Nutrition can provide you with necessary vitamins for vision, but is not a cure for vision problems.
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