Carrots may be the food best known for helping your eyes. But other foods and their nutrients may be more important for keeping your eyesight keen as you age. Vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein and zeaxanthin all play a role in eyehealth They can help prevent cataracts clouding of your eye lens. They may also fight the most-likely cause of vision when you’re older. It’s always best to get the nutrients we know help vision from foods.
Here are some powerhouse foods for healthy eyes to try.
Greens
Ingesting lots of leafy green vegetables like spinach, collard greens and kale help avoid macular degeneration. Spinach in particular is loaded with lutein – an antioxidant that acts as a sunscreen for our eyes.
Hydration
Staying hydrated is beneficial for your body. We all know this. And it should come as no surprise that it’s also great for our eyes! We like to spice up our water by making Real Vitamin Water, a concept I shared over on the Wellness Warrior blog last month.
Apricots
Apricots are super rich in beta carotene and lycopene, both are super important in eye health.
Blueberries
Blueberries are loaded with Vitamins A, C, E and minerals zinc and selenium… all of these are powerful antioxidants – aka eye superfood!
Carrots
The beta carotene in carrots help to guard the cells of the eyes. Sounds pretty serious, doesn’t it? Carrots can easily be added into salads and soups. You can also dip them in just about anything — salsa, hummus, guacamole, peanut butter and dressings.
Sweet potato
Just like carrots, sweet potatoes are packed with beta carotene.
The Bottom Line
Healthy lifestyle habits, such as a wholesome diet and regular exercise, may help prevent many chronic diseases — including eye conditions. Getting enough of the nutrients listed above may help reduce your risk. Other vitamins may also play a role in eye health. However, don’t neglect the rest of your body. A diet that keeps your whole body healthy will likely keep your eyes healthy, too.