Good nutrition is clearly very important for keeping the eyes healthy and functioning their best throughout a person’s lifetime. Research suggests that antioxidants and other important nutrients may reduce your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Specific antioxidants can have additional benefits as well. For example, vitamin A protects against blindness, and vitamin C may play a role in preventing or alleviating glaucoma.
Omega-3 essential fatty acids appear to help the eye in a variety of ways, from alleviating symptoms of dry eye syndrome to guarding against macular damage.
The following vitamins, minerals and other nutrients have been shown to be essential for good vision and may protect your eyes from sight-robbing conditions and diseases.
Incorporating the following foods in your diet will help you get the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of these important eye nutrients. Established by the United States Institute of Medicine (National Academy of Sciences), the RDA is the average daily dietary intake level of a nutrient sufficient to meet the requirements of nearly all healthy individuals in a specific life stage and gender group.
While the RDA is a useful reference, some eye care practitioners recommend higher daily intakes of certain nutrients for people at risk for eye problems. (In the following list, mg = milligram; mcg = microgram (1/1000 of a mg) and IU = International Unit.)
Beta-carotene
Beta-carotene has been established to be very beneficial in enhancing the health of eyes. When taken in combination with zinc and vitamins C and E, beta-carotene may reduce the progression of macular degeneration.
The major sources of beta-carotene are carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, butternut squash.
While a number of micronutrients have a recommended daily average consumption, there in no RDA for beta-carotene. Most over-the-counters supplements contain about 5,000 to 25,000 IU.
Bioflavonoids (Flavonoids)
Bioflavonoids are believed to provide protection against cataracts and macular degeneration. Bioflavonoids are important antioxidants that help keep the eyes and body healthy. Foods high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits and many vegetables, are also excellent sources of bioflavonoids.
Bioflavonoids have been used in alternative medicine as an aid to enhance the action of vitamin C, to support blood circulation, viruses, or arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, especially when they occur in the eyes.
Examples of citrus fruits that contain a lot of bioflavonoids and vitamin C include lemons and limes, as well as peaches, nectarines and other fruits. Again the green vegetable, broccoli has a lot of vitamin C as well as some other essential vitamins for a healthy diet. Other sources of bioflavonoids are tea, red wine, bilberries, blueberries, cherries, legumes and soy products. Taking these items regularly will arm the eyes to function properly and enhance the health of the internal structures of the eyes.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin
As has been noted previously, good nutrition is important to keep your eyes healthy and functioning their best throughout your lifetime. Two very important eye nutrients that may reduce your risk for macular degeneration and cataracts have names you may not be familiar with: lutein (LOO-teen) and zeaxanthin (zee-ah-ZAN-thin).
Lutein and zeaxanthin are two types of carotenoids, which are yellow to red pigments found widely in vegetables and other plants. Though lutein is considered a yellow pigment, in high concentrations it appears orange-red.
In nature, lutein and zeaxanthin appear to absorb excess light energy to prevent damage to plants from too much sunlight, especially from high-energy light rays called blue light.
In addition to being found in many green leafy plants and colorful fruits and vegetables, lutein and zeaxanthin are found in high concentrations in the macula of the human eye, giving the macula its yellowish color. In fact, the macula also is called the “macula lutea” (from the Latin macula, meaning “spot,” and lutea, meaning “yellow”).
Recent research has discovered a third carotenoid in the macula. Called meso-zeaxanthin, this pigment is not found in food sources and appears to be created in the retina from ingested lutein.
Lutein and zeaxanthin appear to have important antioxidant functions in the body. Along with other natural antioxidants, including vitamin C, beta-carotene and vitamin E, these important pigments guard the body from damaging effects of free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can destroy cells and play a role in many diseases.
In addition to important eye and vision benefits, lutein may help protect against atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty deposits in arteries), the disease that leads to most heart attacks.
Selenium
When combined with carotenoids and vitamins C and E, selenium may reduce risk of advanced AMD. The major food sources of selenium are seafood (shrimp, crab, salmon, halibut), Brazil nuts, enriched noodles, brown rice. The RDA for selenium is 55 mcg for teens and adults (60 mcg for women during pregnancy and 70 mcg when breast-feeding).
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is known to protect against night blindness and dry eyes. The main food sources are beef or chicken liver; eggs, butter, milk. The RDA is 3000 IU for men; 2333 IU for women (2,567 IU during pregnancy and 4,333 IU when breast-feeding).
Vitamin C
Vitamin C may reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. it comes naturally from red or green pepper, kale, strawberries, broccoli, oranges, cantaloupe. The RDAs are: 90 mg for men; 70 mg for women (85 mg during pregnancy and 120 mg when breast-feeding).
Vitamin D
One of the major benefits of vitamin D is that it can reduce the risk of macular degeneration. It is obtained from food sources like salmon, sardines, mackerel, milk and orange juice fortified with vitamin D.
Currently there is no RDA for vitamin D, however, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 400 IU per day for infants, children and adolescents, and many experts recommend higher daily intakes for adults.
The best source of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun stimulates production of vitamin D in human skin, and just a few minutes of exposure to sunlight each day (without sunscreen) will insure your body is producing adequate amounts of vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is one of the fat-soluble vitamin. It is one of the four vitamins that are vital for the body. The others are A, K, and E. The four vitamins are known by the acronym, DAKE. When combined with carotenoids and vitamin C, it may reduce the risk of advanced AMD.
The food sources include almonds, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts. The RDA is as follows: 15 mg for teens and adults (15 mg for women during pregnancy and 19 mg when breast-feeding).
Zinc
Zinc helps vitamin A reduce the risk of night blindness. It may also play a role in reducing risk of advanced AMD. The known food sources include oysters, beef and turkey (dark meat). The RDAs are: 11 mg for men; 8 mg for women (11 mg during pregnancy and 12 mg when breast-feeding).
In general, it’s best to obtain most nutrients through a healthy diet, including at least two servings of fish per week and plenty of colourful fruits and vegetables. If you plan to begin a regimen of eye vitamins, be sure to discuss this with your optometrist or ophthalmologist. Taking too much of certain vision supplements can cause problems, especially if you are taking prescription medications for health problems.
⦁ Adapted from webmd.com