Your eyes are more than just luminous reflective colors that dazzle and impress. Eighty percent of your perception is filtered through your eyes. You can amplify the brightness of your eyes and strengthen your vision by eating vitamin and mineral-rich foods. Stock up your refrigerator today with the vision-enhancing foods below Þ
Dark Green, Leafy Vegetables
A daily dose of spinach, kale, romaine or collard greens can help keep your 20/20 vision intact. Dark green, leafy veggies are rich in vitamin C, which protects against age-related macular degeneration (a condition that causes gradual damage to the retina). Lutein and zeaxanthin are SPF for the eyes, shielding the rods and cones of your eyes from harmful UV rays. Dr. Guillermo Rocha, an ophthalmologist and Medical Director of GRMC Vision Centre in Brandon, Manitoba explains, “We have lutein and zeaxanthin as pigments in the back part of the eye. Keeping that part well nourished helps maintain normal physiology at the back of the eye.” With a high concentration of beta-carotene, green leafy vegetables also prevent cataracts and night vision.
The Broccoli Bonus
Flavor it with some dipping sauce if you must, but don’t miss out on the incredible nutrients this powerhouse vegetable provides. Not only is broccoli loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, but it also contains selenium and alpha lipoic acid, which protect against a vast array of free radical damage. CoQ10 helps break down food into energy, and vitamins C, E and folic acid can significantly reduce vision loss.
Go Orange
Orange vegetables such as sweet potatoes and carrots are high in vitamin C and vitamin A, which helps your eyes adjust to night vision. Mangoes are a good source of vitamin E, which helps decrease eye pressure.
An Apple a Day Keeps Vision Loss at Bay
A wonderful source of antioxidants, apples contain the plant pigment quercetin—which defends the eye against solar radiation—and rutin, which keeps small blood vessels from leaking into the retina.
Get Nutty
Walnuts, peanuts and almonds help improve vision in people experiencing age-related macular degeneration. Walnuts are a nutrient-dense source of omega-3, an essential fatty acid that regulates proper nerve condition in the retina and prevents dry-eye syndrome. Both peanuts and almonds contain vitamin E, riboflavin, zinc and magnesium. Magnesium relaxes the eye muscles (relaxed eye muscles promote normal vision) and riboflavin helps the retina filter light.
Boost Vision with Beans
Chickpeas, kidney beans or lentils…take your pick! Beans are an easy way to add zinc to your diet. Zinc deficiency leads to macular degeneration and progressive vision loss. Zinc tells your liver to release vitamin A so that it can be delivered to your eye tissues. If you’re not a fan of legumes you can get your zinc fix by eating chicken, beef, oysters or pumpkin seeds.
When it comes to eye health, you don’t want to fall into the supplement trap. Your eyes crave nutrients from whole foods. So brighten your eyes from the inside out with tasty greens, succulent fruits and savory proteins.
