“Eat your carrots—they’re healthy for your eyes”, or at least that’s what you’ve been told. While carrots contain important nutrients that are beneficial for vision and eye health, dark leafy green veggies contain higher levels of nutrients that may help delay the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
These are not the only foods that may help protect your vision. If you want to keep your eyes healthy, there are others we recommend you consume (or avoid!)
To prevent or delay AMD, you should consume a diet containing adequate levels of certain vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. A Mediterranean-style diet, which includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, seafood, and nuts and seeds, is a good place to start.
The National Eye Institute advises a nutrient formula to help lower the chance of AMD progression, regardless of how healthy your diet is. That formula is known as the AREDS2 formula eye vitamins. Nonetheless, getting key nutrients from foods and supplements is always a good idea.
Your diet should include the following nutrients:
Vitamins A, C, and E are all antioxidants that help prevent cellular damage. For Vitamin A, make sure you eat a lot of carotenoids, such as kale, spinach and yams, all of which include the ‘eye vitamins’ lutein and zeaxanthin. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits or broccoli, and Vitamin E is abundant in nuts, seeds, and oils.
There are three significant Omega-3s: EPA, DHA (both of which are found in fatty fish), and ALA, found in nuts and seeds. Omega-3 fatty acids help the body fight inflammation, which researchers believe plays a role in AMD. These fatty acids may also help reduce bad cholesterol, which has been associated with AMD.
These trace minerals both directly and indirectly contribute to eye health. Zinc, for example, aids in the absorption of the antioxidant vitamin A and regulates cellular function. Zinc is abundant in meats, shellfish, and legumes (i.e. chickpeas). For copper, eat a lot of dark leafy greens as well as seeds, nuts, and eggs.
It should come as no surprise that the same things that clog your heart’s blood vessels also clog the tiny blood vessels in your eyes. Avoid fast foods and limit your intake of the following, especially if you have high cholesterol:
Sweets and sugary drinks should also be avoided since they induce inflammation, which leads to the production of eye-damaging free radicals. Moreover, sugary and fatty foods are abundant in calories and are a leading cause of obesity, which has been associated with AMD.
At Professional VisionCare in Lewis Center we care about you and your vision. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Carole Burns to find out what else you can do to protect your vision.
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