If you want to improve your vision, you had better start with your diet because healthy vision begins with healthy eating habits. Fruits, vegetables, and fish make for healthy, light, delicious meals and snacks during the warm summer months and contain nutrients and powerful antioxidants that are essential to healthy eyes.
Studies have shown that a diet rich in antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, as well as Zinc, Omega-3 fats, the carotenoids Lutein and Zeaxanthin can help protect your eyes against age-related macular degeneration as well as cataracts.
Certain foods actually have more of these important nutrients than others, but just eating more fruits and vegetables (5 to 9 servings per day) will get you on track to better eye health, and better health overall. The nutrients that are linked the most with eye health are found in fruits, green vegetables, nuts and seafood. Here are some of the best food sources for improving your eye health:
- Vitamin C can be found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables such as bell peppers, citrus fruits, berries, tropical fruits, dark, leafy greens, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts
- Vitamin E can be found in dark, leafy greens, spinach, sunflower seeds, almonds, avocados, sweet potatoes, sardines, as well as vegetable plant oils.
- Vitamin A can be found in yellow, orange, and green fruits and vegetables, including carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, broccoli, spinach, kale, dark, leafy greens, squash and pumpkin.
- Zinc can be found in nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, oysters, lean beef, whole grains, beans, and dark chocolate.
- Lutein and Zeaxanthin can be found in spinach and other dark, leafy greens, broccoli, Romaine lettuce, zucchini, eggs, corn, and carrots.
- Omega-3 Fats can be found in salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, flaxseeds, and walnuts.
So load up on yummy salads and throw some salmon on the grill this summer to start building better eye-health habits that will last year-round!