Good Nutrition For Eyes
If your grandmother told you to eat your carrots to help your eyes, she wasn’t all wrong. Good nutrition keeps you healthy overall, but good nutrition for eyes can make a difference.
Antioxidants are good nutrition for eyes—nutrients which can help prevent or slow oxidative damage to the body by reducing free radicals. Free radicals are byproducts of oxygen use by cells in the body. Antioxidants lock onto free radicals, which can help prevent and repair damage caused by free radicals.
Antioxidants are good nutrition for eyes because they can help prevent cataracts and macular degeneration. Diabetes, which can cause problems in the eye, can be related to oxidative damage in the body.
Common antioxidants are Vitamins A, C, E and selenium. Antioxidants can be found in fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.
It is always better to obtain antioxidants from food instead of synthesized supplements.
Good sources of antioxidants are:
- Vitamin A: brightly colored fruits and vegetables such as peaches, tomatoes, cantaloupe, apricots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, kale, carrots and squash.
- Vitamin C: Citrus fruits and green leafy vegetables such as oranges, lemons, limes, broccoli, plus green peppers, tomatoes and strawberries.
- Vitamin E: Whole grains, nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables and oils.
- Selenium: Grains, eggs, fish and shellfish, garlic and chicken.
Antioxidants can also be found in other food categories, such as:
- Lutein (dark green vegetables such as spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and kale)
- Flavonoids and polyphenols (red wine, soy, cranberries, tea, pomegranates and purple grapes)
- Lignan (oatmeal, flax seed, rye and barley)
- Lycopene (watermelon, pink grapefruit and tomatoes)