All About Vision: 8 Nutrients To Boost Eye Health

Nutrients are important for the proper functioning of your body. The food you put on your plate can help maintain eye function, protect it against harmful light or UV radiation, and also help reduce the development of age-related degenerative diseases. The risk of developing an eye disease increases as you age. Some of the common eye diseases are cataracts, where the eyes become clouded and can cause vision impairment, dry eyes and glaucoma. Enriching your body with accurate nutrients can save you from plenty of eye diseases while making you all hale and hearty.

Here are some of the nutrients that can benefit your eyes-

1- Vitamin A

The deficiency of this nutrient is the leading cause of blindness in the world. It is known as an essential vitamin that is known to maintain the eyes’ light-sensing cells, which are more commonly known as photoreceptors. They are only found in animal-derived foods, like egg yolks, liver, and dairy products.

2- Lutein and Zeaxanthin

They are the yellow carotenoid antioxidants that are also known as macular pigments. Concentrated in the macula, it is a layer of light-sensitive cells present at the back of the eyeball and function as a natural sunblock, and protect the eyes from blue light. There is a chance of macular degeneration with low intake and occur in food like spinach, swiss chard, kale, parsley, green peas, and pistachios.

3- Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are good for healthy eyes. It is found in high amounts in the retina, helping in the maintenance of the brain and eye development, deficiency in DHA can lead to vision impairment. It is known to lower the risks of diabetic retinopathy and dry eye symptoms.

4- Vitamin C

Vitamin C has high amounts of antioxidants, its highest concentration is found in the aqueous humour of the eye, which fills the outermost part of your eye, they are directly proportional to the dietary intake. They are found in fruits and vegetables like bell peppers, citrus fruits, kale, guavas, and broccoli.

5- Gamma-Linolenic Acid

Is an omega- 6 fatty acid, and is known to have anti-inflammatory properties. The richest source of this is evening primrose oil and starflower oil. Primrose oil reduces the chances of dry eye disease.

6- Vitamin E

These are a group of fat-soluble antioxidants that protect fatty acids from harmful oxidation. They are optimal for eye health, deficiency of vitamin E leads to retinal degeneration and blindness, best dietary sources are almonds, sunflower seeds, and vegetable oils like flaxseed oil.

7- Zinc

The deficiency of zinc can lead to night blindness, dietary sources include oysters, meat, pumpkin seeds, and peanuts.

Footnote

Getting a wholesome diet is one of the best techniques to avoid eye glitches. Do eye exercise daily and practise good eye hygiene to get effective results.