Many health problems and difficult eye conditions can be easily avoided by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet. Additionally, bad habits like smoking and consuming excess alcohol can affect your health in a negative way. Knowing which nutrients contribute to good eye health can empower you with the knowledge of which foods to include in your meals. We’re going to help you take the guesswork out of good eye health.
The Nutrients You Need
Vitamin E
Free radicals in your body can cause damage to tissues, and they can damage the proteins within your eyes. This damage can cause cataracts. Studies have shown that this damage can be prevented by a diet that includes vitamin E. Another study has shown that vitamin E did not affect cataract progression.
Beta Carotene and Vitamin A
For good vision and overall eye health, vitamin A is essential. Vitamin A makes up the protein rhodopsin; rhodopsin helps you to see in dimly lit spaces. Ophthalmologists believe a vitamin A deficiency can lead to night blindness. Vitamin A also helps your eyes to be moist.
Beta carotene is the main source of vitamin A in the human diet. Beta carotene is a plant pigment called carotenoid, which is found in a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Your body converts these carotenoids into vitamin A when you eat them.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is important nutrient optometrists recommend including in your diet. This is another nutrient that protects your eyes from free radicals. Cortical and nuclear cataracts are linked to oxidative damage.
B Vitamins
Foods rich in B6, B9, and B12 help lower homocysteine levels. The protein homocysteine is linked to inflammation and increased likelihood of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A study has also linked protein, vitamins A and B, riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine to a lower risk of nuclear cataracts.
While there are many supplements on the market, your diet is the most preferred source of consuming the nutrients your body needs. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, consuming antioxidant-rich foods, and visiting the eye doctor regularly will help you with your eye health. Call Dr. Hedayat at Excel Optometry in Ladera Ranch, CA, at (949) 844-3966 to schedule your next vision appointment.
