What To Eat For Your Eye Health
You have probably been told all of your life to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes. As a kid, you may have just thought it was your parents saying that to make you eat your vegetables. However, the truth is that carrots are great for your eye health! Carrots are loaded with antioxidants and essential vitamins that positively affect your eyes.
Read on to see what can damage your eyes, what nutrients are good for healing them, and the best foods to eat to ensure your eye health is at its best.
What affects our eye health and vision
Every person is at risk of failing eyesight and poor eye health due to natural oxidation from the air. This happens because oxidation breaks down the cells in your eyes quicker than it takes for your body to repair the damage. There really isn’t much you can do to stop oxidation from entering your body. You get it naturally through breathing, and we do need to do that to keep surviving, it’s sort of a catch 22! Other factors can also affect our eye health including smoke, air pollution, and extended sun exposure.
Carrots are great for combatting oxidants because they contain a carotenoid called beta-carotene, which is an antioxidant that slightly decreases the cell damage that naturally occurs throughout your life. Antioxidants slow the destruction of cells over time by quenching the thirst for free radicals before they can cause cell damage.
Essential nutrients for healthier eyes
You may already be taking the best nutrients to get better eye vision, you just don’t know it! Some of the best nutrients you can find that will help increase your eye health include vitamin C, vitamin E, Lutein, omega-3 fatty acids, astaxanthin, and zeaxanthin. These nutrients have been proven to help prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
Food for thought; The best foods for a better eyesight
Want to know the best foods that will improve your eye health? Check out the list below!
- Citrus fruits are packed with vitamin C! Oranges, strawberries, lemons, and grapefruit are some of the best fruits to find vitamin C. You can also try brightly colored fruits like grapes and kiwis which contain antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin.
- Dark, leafy vegetables like broccoli, kale, and spinach are able to absorb damaging UV rays and contain antioxidants! Brussel sprouts are also great vegetables to eat to get better vision, they have a lot of vitamin C, but some people don’t like the taste!
- Shellfish and fatty fish each have their own benefits, but each will help improve your vision! Shellfish like crabs and oysters contain zinc, while fish like salmon, herring, and halibut are filled with omega-3 fatty acids (which are also great for your heart and brain health).
- You can get your fill of vitamin E through seeds and nuts like pecans or almonds. On the other end, you can get a lot of vitamin A from sweet potatoes, red peppers, squash, pumpkins, and of course, carrots!