Most of us grew up believing that if we ate carrots, we’d have good eyesight, and while carrots are good for your vision, they aren’t the only food that keeps your eyes healthy. We’ve broken down some of the best and worst foods and nutrients for your vision to help you keep your eyes healthy and strong.
Best Foods & Nutrients for Your Eyesight
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is known for having several positive health benefits, mainly for our skin, but it can also be found in some of the best foods for your vision. Studies have shown that vitamin E can actively protect the tissue in your eyes from free radicals, which are compounds that destroy healthy tissue. You can get vitamin E from foods like sweet potatoes, nuts, various fruits, and fortified cereals.
Lutein & Zeaxanthin
These nutrients might be difficult to pronounce, but the benefit they have on your eye health is clear. Research has shown that they reduce your chances of developing serious eye diseases like cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. You can easily get Lutein & Zeaxanthin from eggs and leafy green vegetables.
Essential Fatty Acids
Fats have gotten a bad rap over the years, but they aren’t all bad. Essential fatty acids like the omega-3’s found in certain seafood, nuts, and plant oils are essential for maintaining and promoting proper retinal function and overall visual development.
Worst Foods & Nutrients for Your Eyesight
Saturated & Trans Fats
It’s become common knowledge that these types of fats are not only bad for your overall health, but they also aren’t found in the best foods for your vision. Consumption of fried and fatty foods in moderation is okay, but you should make an effort to consume foods with good fats like omega-3 fatty acids at a more regular rate.
Sodium
We all know salty foods aren’t good for our heart health, but they can negatively impact your vision as well. A lot of foods that claim to be healthy are full of sodium, so always check the nutrition labels and try to stick to homemade versions of condiments and snacks that are generally high in sodium.
Sugar
This might be a hard pill to swallow for those of you that have an insatiable sweet tooth, but sweets are bad for more than just your teeth, they’re bad for your eyes too. No one is saying you have to cut sugar out altogether, but try to cut out the big culprits like soft drinks and fast food frozen desserts.
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