Food and supplements to protect your ageing eyes
Seeing your vision deteriorate before your very eyes (literally) can be a cause of distress. You compare your eyesight to what it used to be, you dread your upcoming optician’s appointment and you put off wearing your new prescriptions for as long as you can, although you know that will only make matters worse.
Although wearing sunglasses everywhere you go may be a method of postponing your imminent ‘blindness’, adopting a healthy diet is a better alternative. Here are the 4 vitamins you need to incorporate to your diet for better eye health.
Omega 3 –
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats that benefit your overall health. Although these fats are very vital, the body doesn’t produce them naturally. A clinical study found that those with a healthy dietary balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as more fish in their diets, were less likely to have a macular-eye-degeneration. Apart from aiding with your eyesight, Omega-3 fatty acids have gained increasing popularity due to the role they play in keeping heart diseases at bay. So they’re definitely worth including to your diet! Sources of Omega 3 include: salmon, walnuts, tuna, egg yolks…
Lutein –
Lutein is a carotenoid vitamin meaning it derives from plants. Lutein plays a very important antioxidant function in the body along with other natural antioxidants. This carotenoid is mainly located in the macula of the eye. Together with other high-potency antioxidants, lutein prevents damage to the eyes by blocking out visible blue light – a harmful light source for the human eye. Its presence in the eye also helps to thicken the macula, therefore lowering the vulnerability to eye cataracts. You can increase your intake of Lutein by consuming: kale, spinach, corn, broccoli…
Vitamin C,E –
Vitamins play an important function in the maintenance of our health so unsurprisingly, they help maintain eyesight as well. Vitamins C and E are both very powerful antioxidants that help protect membranes of cells throughout the body against damage caused by metabolic by-products called free radicals. Studies suggest that both of these vitamins helps prevent cataracts and macular degeneration. If you’re unsure of which food sources help provide these vitamins, try consuming more oranges, pistachios, grains or blackcurrants.
Beta-carotene –
We’re sure you’ve heard of carotene being very important for your eyes and hair as a kid. We’re here to confirm that it is true! Beta-carotene is an organic substance originating from plants and fruits. This carotenoid is abundant in Vitamin A and is said to help decrease asthma symptoms, prevent certain cancers and avoid age related macular degeneration. Beta-carotene also has antioxidant activity, which helps protect cells from damage. Adults and teenagers are recommended to take 6 to 15 milligram of Beta-carotene a day so if you think you’re not fulfilling the recommended intake, make sure to add carrots, sweet potatoes melons or peaches to your diet.
Although a healthy diet is important and a goal to aspire to, we don’t all have the time to prep our meals a week ahead according to nutritional value. Buying healthy produce can be very costly at times too. If you relate to this issue, why not give supplements a go? We recommend you take on of these 3 supplements to aid your eye health: Bilberry Herbal, Citrus Bioflavonoid or Vitamin A.
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