Have you ever thought about eating food for your eyes? We eat every day several times a day, but what determines what we eat? Some of us eat to live and others of us live to eat, to sort of speak. Whichever category you fall into, you should be aware that what goes into your tummy also affects your eye health.
Okay, so we’re not here to tell you that you should eat solely based on what’s good for your eyes. Balance is key in life, and also true when it comes to your eye health. Incorporating certain food groups into your daily meals can help aid in preventing diseases like diabetes, which can in turn affect your eyes. See our bodies are very connected. If you take care one part of your body, chances are you will also be helping in taking care or preventing other diseases.
What Foods should you be eating for Healthy Eyes?
Here is a list of some of the foods your eyes will thank you for eating:
- Dark leafy greens
- Eggs
- Berries
- Almonds
- Fatty Fish
The general link in all of these foods is that they contain properties, like vitamin A, E, and carotenoids, all which help in keeping your eyes healthy. For example, leafy greens contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which has been shown to prevent or slow Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Wow! Given the rates of AMD in our ageing population, knowing this piece of knowledge can really help a vast majority of people to take proactive steps. Especially, because being proactive is key in eye care health.
What is Lutein and Zeaxanthin, and why should I care?
You probably are familiar with vitamins but what are carotenoids? Both Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids. So what? These are pretty amazing! They act like sunscreen for plants. By sunscreen, we mean that these two carotenoids help in preventing plants from absorbing too much light energy, which prevents damage from excess light rays. Similarly, they also prevent the eye from blue light damage.
Both lutein and zeaxanthin are found in high levels in the eye. These are represented as pigments ranging from yellow to red, and are responsible for giving the yellowish color to eyes. So if you eat foods with these carotenoids you are helping in keeping these supply levels appropriately high.
Balance is Key
We know what you’re probably thinking, great, another article about food. As if eating healthy is not already complicated enough! Don’t fear, you don’t really need to eat for your eyes, you just need to eat a well-balanced diet. Chances are if you are doing this, you are already eating foods that are good for your eyes. More information on which foods you can incorporate into your daily meals, click here!
If you want more information on this topic, book an appointment with Dr. Sharma. We would love to help you!