7 best foods for healthy eyes
Eating well may help prevent a variety of vision disorders.
Want to keep your eyes healthy? Start in the kitchen! Snack on nuts and seeds, pile your plate with fruits and veggies and enjoy an occasional steak.
“Research shows that diets rich in antioxidants from a variety of fruits and vegetables are associated with a lower risk of eye disorders like cataracts,” says Kristian Morey, R.D. She’s the diabetes education program coordinator and outpatient dietitian at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
Nearly 12 million people in the U.S. over age 40 have some sort of vision issue, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).1 Among them are:
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It affects 1.8 million people in the U.S. It is a leading cause of severe vision loss in people over age 50.2
- Glaucoma. This disease causes ongoing damage to the optic nerve. It can ultimately leads to vision loss.3
- Cataracts. These are opaque or cloudy areas in the lens of the eye that cause vision issues.4
Eating the right foods may help prevent or delay eye disorders, says Stephanie Di Figlia-Peck, a lead registered dietitian in pediatric services in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York. “For instance, omega-3 fats have anti-inflammatory properties,” she says. “You can get omega-3s from salmon, mackerel and other fatty fish.”
Here are the nutrients that may help keep your eyes healthy and what foods have them.
Almonds
Just 1 ounce of dry-roasted almonds offers 45% of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin E, Morey says. Other nuts, seeds and nut oils also contain vitamin E.
Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant. It helps protect your cells from damage by free radicals, Morey says. But you can’t get the right amount through supplements. “There isn’t enough evidence that vitamin E supplements can lower the chance of developing eye conditions,” Morey explains.
Carrots
This veggie is a great source of beta carotene, a form of vitamin A. Beta carotene helps keep the cornea of your eye moist and healthy. “In some studies, high amounts of vitamin A were linked to a reduced risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration,” Morey says.
“There is some truth to the myth that eating carrots will give you good vision,” she says. Severe vitamin A deficiency can lead to xerophthalmia, a serious eye disease. It can result in blindness if left untreated, Morey says.
Carrots aren’t the only food rich in beta carotene. It can also be found in deep-orange foods such as sweet potatoes and apricots, as well as leafy greens, including kale, collard greens and spinach, Di Figlia-Peck says.
Beta carotene and vitamin A are absorbed better when you eat them along with foods that contain healthy fats. Those include avocados, olive oil, or nuts and seeds, Di Figlia-Peck adds.
Citrus fruit
Fruits such as oranges and grapefruit are excellent sources of vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that’s important for good eye health.
“Vitamin C is required to make collagen, a protein that provides structure to your eye, particularly in the cornea and sclera,” Morey explains. Other fruits and vegetables are also good sources of vitamin C, such as:
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cantaloupe
- Kiwis
- Strawberries
Corn
Corn is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. These are carotenoids that appear to play a role in preventing AMD, says Morey. “The macular pigment in your eyes is composed of lutein and zeaxanthin,” Morey explains. “These pigments absorb up to 90% of blue light and help maintain optimal vision.”
Other foods that have lutein and zeaxanthin are:4
- Kale
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Peas
- Lettuce
- Persimmons
- Tangerines
- Egg yolks
“Lutein and zeaxanthin also may lower the chance of cataracts because of their antioxidant properties,” she says. The development of cataracts has been linked to low levels of antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids.5
Lean meat
Lean meats are good sources of zinc. This nutrient plays a vital role in bringing vitamin A from the liver to the retina to produce melanin. Melanin is a protective pigment in your eyes, Morey explains.
Zinc deficiency has been linked to poor night vision and cloudy cataracts, says Di Figlia-Peck. Aside from meat, other good sources of zinc include shellfish, nuts and seeds.
Salmon
Omega-3s are important for good eye health. They can be found in salmon and other cold-water fatty fish such as mackerel, tuna, herring and sardines. “Your retina contains a high concentration of docosahexaenoic acid, which is a particular type of omega-3,” Morey says. “Also, omega-3 fats have anti-inflammatory properties that may play a role in preventing diabetic retinopathy.”
Spinach
This leafy green vegetable is high in riboflavin, a B vitamin that may protect your eyes against damaging free radicals, Morey says. “Diets high in riboflavin have been linked to a reduced risk of developing cataracts,” she says, adding that other B vitamins show promise in reducing the risk of eye disorders, although more research is needed.
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