These Superfoods Will Keep Your Vision Sharp as You Age
Our vision health can decline as we age and this can be caused by different conditions related to aging. One of the proactive things you can do every day to protect your vision is to eat eye-beneficial superfoods. Below are some foods you should buy when you go grocery shopping.
The Best Foods for Eye Health
Whether you have a family history of vision problems or are trying to combat eye strain on a daily basis, here are 12 foods to improve eye health.
Broccoli
A study promoted by the American Optometric Association found that indole-3-carbinol, a compound found in broccoli, can help remove toxins from your retina. This reduces your risk of age-related macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of vision loss in older adults. Broccoli also contains lutein and zeaxanthin which also protect your eyes. Note that this study claims that you would have to eat an unreasonable amount of broccoli to actually protect yourself against AMD.
Salmon
Keeping your eyes healthy means keeping them adequately hydrated. Some of the best foods for healthy eyes can be very helpful. Salmon, for example, contains omega-3 fatty acids. This helps reduce the risk of dry eye, an uncomfortable condition that becomes more common as we age.
If you’re a woman, it’s more important to eat salmon and other foods that contain omega-3s that are good for eye health. People assigned female at birth are twice as likely to develop dry eyes.
Carrots
You’ve probably heard it before: carrots are one of the best foods for eye health. For starters, they contain tons of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that your body uses to make vitamin A. Vitamin A helps you see at night and defends you against nearsightedness (aka nearsightedness). If you’re looking for a way to avoid needing vision correction – or keep your current prescription for your contact lenses or glasses as long as possible – grab Bugs Bunny’s go-to snack.
Additionally, carrots also contain lutein, another antioxidant. This can help reduce your risk of AMD.
Learn more: Best Places to Buy Contacts Online
Sunflower seeds
Yes, you need to protect your eyes from the sun. Don’t let the name fool you; no protection is needed here. Sunflower seeds are one of the best foods for vision. They contain a lot of vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects our eyes from oxidative stress. Vitamin E also helps fight harmful UV rays from the sun, reducing the risk of cataracts.
One important thing to note here: Your body can synthesize certain vitamins, but you must get vitamin E from food sources or supplements.
Kiwi
Looking for another way to combat potential sun damage to your eyes? Let’s turn to the kiwi. This fuzzy fruit is on our list of the best foods for healthy eyes because it contains lutein, the AMD-fighting antioxidant I’ve talked about before, as well as zeaxanthin, which helps your eyes filter light.
Oysters
Most other foods good for eye health might not come as a surprise, but this one might seem like a curveball. Still, it’s worth the detour. Not only do oysters contain omega-3 fatty acids, but they are also rich in zinc. This gives you another powerful nutrient if you’re trying to fight AMD.
Spinach
Take a page from Popeye’s book and eat your spinach. As a great source of complete nutrients, this green leaf is also one of the best foods for healthy eyes. It’s high in lutein, which, as I’ve already pointed out, is a key component of eye health. Spinach also contains zeaxanthin.
To help your body better absorb these antioxidants, you should eat them with fats. A small spinach salad drizzled with olive oil — which also contains omega-9 and a small amount of omega-3 — makes it easy to incorporate the best foods for vision into any meal.
Eggs
Eggs provide just about everything your eyes need, from lutein and zeaxanthin to zinc and vitamin A. A 2019 study concluded that eating a moderate amount of eggs regularly (about two to four eggs per week) significantly reduces your risk of developing AMD. If you want to eat foods that are good for eye health, eggs can make it easier.
Almonds
Almonds and other nuts contain high levels of vitamin E, the antioxidant that fights AMD and cataracts. Again, your body cannot make this vitamin itself.
Plus, it’s one of the best foods to improve eye health if you’re trying to avoid or reduce time spent on kitchen preparation. If you don’t want to turn on the stove or grab a cutting board, you can grab a handful of almonds and go.
Yogurt
Dairy products contain both vitamin A and zinc, two nutrients I’ve previously highlighted as essential for eye health. If you really want to choose the best foods for your vision, opt for the cultivated variety when making your dairy choices. For what? Because yogurt contains probiotics. Studies are increasingly showing that these good bacteria could help with everything from allergic conjunctivitis to dry eye.
Oranges
I’ve talked before about beta-carotene, its role in vitamin A, and the importance of vitamin A for your eyes. What I didn’t tell you is that it’s usually pretty easy to get foods containing beta-carotene for one important reason: this antioxidant makes them orange. So you better believe that oranges contain a good amount of this nutrient, earning them their spot on this list of the best foods to improve vision.
Plus, as you probably already know, oranges contain plenty of vitamin C. This can help your body fight AMD, cataracts, and general vision loss.
Strawberries
Oranges are much hyped for their vitamin C content, but strawberries actually contain more. Since vitamin C provides a dual benefit in preventing overall vision loss, cataracts, and AMD, these berries deserve to round out our list of the best foods for eye health.
How to improve eyesight naturally
While there isn’t necessarily a way to naturally improve eyesight, there are steps you can take to improve your eye health as you age, including eating a healthy diet, exercising, taking breaks from a screen, and wearing sunglasses. You should consult your eye doctor if you have specific concerns related to your vision.
