What Foods Are Good for Eye Health?

Medically Reviewed on6/10/2022
eye health
A well-balanced diet can provide you with all the eye-healthy nutrients you need.

The health of your eye is directly associated with the health of theheartand blood vessels.Food can play a critical role in promoting eye and heart health.

Certain nutrients present in food are essential for your overall eye health. Your eyes need all these nutrients to help prevent the followingeye conditions:

12 foods good for eye health

The top 12 foods that are essential for eye health include:

  1. Red peppers
  2. Sweet potatoes
  3. Sunflower seeds and nuts
  4. Dark, leafy greens
  5. Salmon or other
  6. Lean meat and poultry
  7. Beans and legumes
  8. Eggs
  9. Squash
  10. Broccoli and brussels sprouts
  11. Oysters
  12. Almonds

Best foods for eye health chart

Some important nutrients, their functions in the eyes, and the richest food sources are mentioned below:

Table. Nutrients for eye health
Nutrients Functions Food
  • Lutein
  • Zeaxanthin
  • Protect the retina
  • Slow age-related macular degeneration
  • Prevent free radicals from damaging the eye cells
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Collard greens
  • Corn
  • Eggs
  • Kale
  • Nectarines
  • Oranges
  • Papayas
  • Romaine
  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Squash
Omega-3 fatty acids
  • Increase tear production
  • Beneficial for overall eye health
  • Flaxseed
  • Flaxseed oil
  • 大比目鱼
  • Salmon
  • Sardines
  • Tuna
  • Walnuts
Vitamin A
  • Prevents dry eyes and night blindness
  • Enables light to be converted into electrical signals that get interpreted as vision
  • Apricots
  • Cantaloupe (raw)
  • Carrots
  • Mangoes
  • Red peppers (raw)
  • Ricotta cheese (part-skim)
  • Spinach
  • Sweet potatoes
Vitamin C
  • Slows cataract formation
  • Protection from eye damage caused by free radicals
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Grapefruit
  • Kiwi
  • Oranges
  • Red peppers (raw)
  • Strawberries
Vitamin E
  • Protects eye cells
  • Prevents eye damage by obstructing the action of free radicals
  • Almonds
  • Broccoli
  • Peanut butter
  • Spinach
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Wheat germ
Zinc
  • Activation of some enzymes in the eyes
  • Maintains structure and stability of proteins in the retina
  • Prevents and slows vision loss
  • Chickpeas
  • Oysters
  • Pork chops
  • Red meat
  • Yogurt

QUESTION

What causes dry eyes?See Answer

5 worst foods for eye health

Because certain foods promote eye health, others can harm the eyes. Any foods that are harmful to your heart can prove deleterious to your eye health. Therefore, junk foods are a big “no” when considering your eye health.

Some worst foods for eye health include:

  1. Bread and pasta:Simple carbohydrates found in bread and pasta digest quickly leading to an increase in bloodsugarlevels. Higher bloodsugarlevels can increase the risk of age-relatedvision lossin elderly people.
  2. Processed meats:Processed meats such as hotdogs, bacon, and deli meats are loaded with sodium.High blood pressureis the outcome of a salt spike. Salt spikes can result in the followingeye conditions:
    • Hypertensive retinopathy (blood vessel damage leading toblurred visionor vision loss)
    • Choroidopathy (buildup of fluid below the retina)
    • Neuropathy (blockage of blood flow that kills nerves and leads to vision loss)
  3. Fried foods:Deep-fried foods can increase badcholesterol levels, leading toheart disease,stroke, and type IIdiabetes. These can build up free radicals in the eye and can damage eye cells.
  4. Sugarydrinks:Sugary drinks can cause sugar spikes, leading to various conditions such as:
  5. Shellfish:High mercury levels in shellfish can be problematic for a certain population and can cause eye damage. These populations include:

Can supplements promote eye health?

A well-balanceddiet可以为您提供所有的eye-healthy营养you need. Typically, most Americans get essential eye-healthy nutrients through theirdietwithout takingsupplements.

Your ophthalmologist may recommendsupplementsonly if you have age-related vision loss.

It’s never too late to start eating healthy before being diagnosed with a serious health problem.

5 ways to promote eye health

Some other ways to promote eye health include:

  1. Wearsunglassesto prevent the damage caused by UV rays.
  2. Use protectiveeyewearor safety goggles if your job involves hazardous acts causing eye injury. For example, people playing the following sports must wear protective glasses:
    • Ice hockey
    • Racquetball
    • Lacrosse
  3. Look away from the computer screen after using it every 20 minutes. Some of the complications of too much screen time include:
  4. Quit smokingbecausesmokingcan cause the following conditions:
  5. Go for a regular eye examination because it is essential to identify any eye abnormalities and provide maximum protection to your eyesight. A comprehensive eye examination might involve:
    • Enlisting your personal and family medical history.
    • Vision tests to identify any eye abnormalities.
    • Test eye functioning.
    • Checking eye pressure to identifyglaucoma.
    • Examination of your eye before and after dilation.
Medically Reviewed on6/10/2022
References
Image Source: iStock image

https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/ss/slideshow-worst-foods-eyes

https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/good-eyesight

https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/fabulous-foods-your-eyes

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/top-foods-to-help-protect-your-vision

https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/preventing-illness/5-top-foods-for-eye-health