Eye Nutrition

Maintaining healthy eyes seems like a process that involves many steps, meticulous awareness, and in depth medical knowledge. However, what many don’t know is that the foundation for a healthy visual system starts with what’s on your plate. Your eyes need a variety of nutrients to function at optimal performance. This includes preventing serious diseases such as glaucoma. Adding these essential nutrients to your diet, either through food or vitamin supplements, will set you well on your way to a full future of healthy eye nutrition.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is an essential building block of your overall health, and it is especially helpful to your vision. Its primary function is to produce pigments for the photoreceptors in your eyes, allowing you to see the full color spectrum. Vitamin A deficiency is one of the world’s leading causes of blindness, so we aim to combat that through education and proper planning. You can find vitamin A in beef, dairy, fruits, and vegetables, but the key is balance.

Vitamin C and Bioflavanoids

Fruits and vegetables should be the foundation of every meal because they are so rich in essential nutrients like vitamin C. Most bioflavanoids are more effective when supported by other parts of a healthy diet, so make sure you add a variety of nutrients to your meal. In addition, they promote healthy skin, bones, blood, and connective tissue, creating the basis for a strong body. Vitamin C is also known to prevent cataracts and slow the effects of AMD.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol & Tocotrienol)

Vitamin E is a group of compounds that protect your body from metabolic byproducts and environmental influences. It covers your cell’s membranes, so they won’t be damaged by harmful substances such as cigarettes smoke. It can also reduce the risk of cataracts and AMD, but there is still much research to be done. Vitamin E can be found in large quantities in seeds, nuts, and grains.

Lutein & Zeaxanthin

These two carotenoid vitamins are usually found together in green vegetables and eggs. Lutein and Zeaxanthin play a very important role in protecting plants from sunlight. They act as extra ‘absorbers,’ and they can even absorb excess blue light. They are known to slow the progression of chronic diseases like AMD and can prevent the development of cataracts.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Fats have practically become synonymous with poor health, and as a result, they tend to be avoided in diet planning. Many perfectly healthy individuals develop omega-3 deficiencies due to this. Fatty acids are essential to both adult eye nutrition and infant vision development. They are found in a variety of fish (salmon is the most well known) and help prevent high blood pressure, glaucoma, and AMD.