Top Foods to Eat for Your Eyes

Your eyes are essential in almost every activity. Caring for them is important to make sure that they function optimally. Aside from protecting your eyes with proper eyewear, you should also improve your nutrition. The National Eye Institute suggests that eating eye-healthy foods can bolster the performance of your eyes. What’s great about this diet is that it also helps the other organ systems of your body. With a wide variety of choices, you won’t get bored with these eye-healthy foods at all. If you want to improve your eye health through a significant diet change, here’s what you should know about the top foods to eat for your eyes.
 

Vitamin C-rich

Ascorbic acid is vital for eye and vision health. It is an antioxidant that helps fight the free radicals that damage your cells, including those in your eyes. Free radicals come from various foods, bad habits, and other factors in your environment. Vitamin C helps repair your cells and encourage the growth of new ones. You can get this vitamin from lemons, oranges, peaches, tangerines, tomatoes, grapefruit, strawberries, and red bell peppers.
 

Vitamin A-rich

The most popular nutrient that helps eyes is vitamin A, retinoic acid, or retinol. Eye experts say that your retina needs substantial amounts of vitamin A to function properly. Retinol powers your retina as it absorbs light rays and turns them into real images. It also helps in lubricating your eyes, preventing dry eye syndrome. You can get vitamin A from foods like apricots, sweet potatoes, and cantaloupes.
 

Zinc-rich

By eating foods that are rich in zinc, you can protect your eyes from sun damage. Zinc can also help maintain your retina’s health. The only thing you need to remember is that zinc lowers your body’s copper levels, which aid in red blood cell formation. If you eat kidney beans, lima beans, and black-eyed peas, you can retain the balance of both elements in your blood. You can increase your zinc levels by eating fortified cereals, lean red meats, oysters, and poultry.
 

Vitamin E-rich

Like other antioxidants, vitamin E protects your eyes from free radicals that help form age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. You can get vitamin E from the following foods:
 

• Kale

• Collard greens

• Mustard greens

• Kiwi

• Almonds

• Peanuts

• Papaya

• Broccoli

• Red bell peppers

• Olive oil

• Sunflower seeds

• Avocados

• Sunflower seeds

• Wheat germ
   

Cold-Water Fish

Experts say that fatty cold-water fish species such as mackerel, tuna, herring, halibut, sardines, trout, and salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Your tear film has a thin layer of oil on its surface so that it won’t evaporate easily. These fatty acids are good for sustaining tear film in people who suffer from dry eye syndrome. If you are vegetarian, you can get your omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed oil.
 

Through the right eye-healthy diet, you can help improve your eye and vision wellness. At Eye Care Center, we always advise our patients to include eye-healthy foods into their daily diet. Please visit our clinics in Fridley, Maplewood, and Maple Grove, Minnesota, for an in-person consultation. You can also call us at 763-308-8440 (Fridley), 651-777-3555 (Maplewood), or 763-420-6981 (Maple Grove). That way, we can help schedule your appointment or answer your questions about foods that can enhance your eye and vision health.