Could you name the top 5 eye health superfoods? Did you know, that What we eat can play an important role in promoting healthy vision? Like with other areas of the body, eyes benefit from certain nutrients, minerals and vitamins they need to function optimally.
1. Blueberries
Blueberries are packed with antioxidants and may help to reduce your risk of cataracts, glaucoma and other eye conditions. They’re high in the soluble fibre pectin, which can help lower cholesterol, which helps keep your whole body healthy.
2. Kale (or spinach)
This leafy green is a rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are related to vitamin A and beta carotene, and may help protect eye tissues from sunlight damage and reduce the risk of eye changes related to ageing. It also contains vitamin C and beta carotene, other eye-friendly nutrients.
3. Salmon
Fish, particularly wild-caught salmon and tuna, can be a great food to consume for eye health. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can contribute to visual development and good health of the retina. Omega-3 can also help prevent dry eye.
4. Apricots
Apricots are super-rich in carotenoids; beta carotene and lycopene both of which help to absorb harmful blue light and near-ultraviolet light in order to help protect the retina. They are also an excellent source of vitamin A, C and E. These vitamins help you to maintain good vision, overall eye health and can help protect the lens of your eye by blocking cell-damaging free radicals. One apricot has 13% of your daily value of vitamin A.
High vitamin A consumption can help to reduce the risk of developing cataracts.
5. Sweet Potato
Packed with beta carotene, the body converts beta carotene in sweet potatoes into vitamin A, a nutrient that helps prevent dry eyes and night blindness. Beta carotene and vitamin A also may help reduce the risk of eye infections. Other foods that are good sources of beta carotene include carrots and butternut squash, plus dark green foods including spinach and collard greens. Liver, milk and eggs are other great sources of vitamin A.
Eye-friendly nutrients explained
Beta-carotene – converts into vitamin A, which helps prevent eye conditions by protecting the eye from free radicals.
Lutein – Reduces the risk of eye diseases such as cataracts and AMD.
Omega-3 – Promotes optimal visual development and retinal function.
Vitamin A – Good for the eye surface and helps prevent eye infections and eye conditions.
Vitamin C – Lowers the risk of developing cataracts, can slow the progression of AMD and promotes healthy capillaries and absorption of iron.
Vitamin E – Protects cells of the eyes, reduces the progression of AMD and cataracts and benefits the health of cell membranes
Zeaxanthin – helps filter harmful high energy blue light, protecting cells in the eyes particularly in the macular and reduces the risk of developing late AMD.
Zinc – Highly concentrated in the eye, zinc brings vitamin A from the liver to the eye. It supports people who are high-risk of AMD and those who are suffering from the early stages of AMD.
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