Certain Foods May Help to Keep Your Eyes Healthy

As we age, many of us unfortunately start to have problems with our eyesight but medical experts say certain foods may help to keep our eyes healthy. Most of the recommended foods are readily available and tasty as well as good for our overall health. One of these foods is blueberries, which are rich in anthocyanins, “potent antioxidants that bolster collagen structure in the retina and provide extra vision protection.”

Another healthy eye food (not a hardship for many of us to eat) is dark chocolate. In a 2018 study published in JAMA Ophthalmology, it found adult participants who ate a bar of dark chocolate experienced greater improvement with visual clarity and contrast sensitivity about two hours later than those participants who ate a bar of milk chocolate. Experts explain it is the flavonoids found in dark chocolate that may help improve the vision of people with glaucoma as well as reduce the risk for macular degeneration.

To protect your eyes against the damaging rays of the sun, it is recommended you eat foods high in zinc. Oysters are one of the best sources of mineral zinc but you can also get zinc from lean red meat, poultry, beans, legumes and fortified cereals. Moreover, a list of foods good for the eyes would not be complete without mentioning carrots. A rich source of beta-carotene, carrots contain “an antioxidant carotenoid that your body converts to vitamin A, which is essential for good vision.” Other orange and red veggies and fruits with beta-carotene include winter squash, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, apricots as well as spinach and kale.

Doctors also say almonds are good for eye health as they are a good source of vitamin E. Studies show “people who have relatively high dietary intakes of vitamin E have a 20 percent lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.” Foods other than almonds with high amounts of vitamin E include sunflower seeds, peanuts, and vegetable oils. Other healthy eye foods to include in your diet are eggs, tomatoes, kale and salmon.

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Source: aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2019/superfoods-for-eyes.html