Improving your diet is one of the best things you can do for your eyes, especially given the state of vision health in the world today. Globally, more than two billion people experience vision impairments, ranging from simple refractive errors like near sightedness to blindness.
One of the main reasons cases are on the rise lies in our modern lifestyles. Excess screentime, increasingly sedentary lifestyles, and the overconsumption of processed foods are linked with poor vision health. As more people become aware of these issues, they're primarily turning to prescription glasses to address them. Canadian eyewear company Clearly shows how the Harlem and Chiseled frames come with multiple features, allowing them to correct a wider range of eye conditions that are becoming more prevalent today. That includes single-vision lenses ideal for correcting nearsightedness in kids, multifocal ones suited for older adults with presbyopia (age-related farsightedness), and even blue light-blocking lenses designed to prevent eyestrain caused by device use.
However, donning corrective eyewear isn't the only thing you can do to care for your eyes as cases of vision impairments rise. Directly nourishing them can help them function optimally for longer. Perhaps more importantly, the right diet will support other eye care practices and make them more effective. That’s why it’ll help to center your meals around ingredients with eye-friendly vitamins and minerals.
Since processed foods can negatively impact your eye health by producing free radicals, organic ingredients—which aren't produced with man-madechemicals—will be the ideal building blocks for an eye-friendly diet. Read onto learn more about the five best ingredients to start with and how they can bolster other vision care methods by simply nourishing your eyes.
Spinach
Spinach is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants specifically tied to better eye health. That’s because they’re essential pigments found in the retina that are vital for maintaining contrast sensitivity and giving you clearer, sharper, and more detailed vision. Because of that, studies find that lutein and zeaxanthin can prevent nearsightedness from developing into high myopia, which comes with complications that can cause blindness. That mean seating more spinach can mimic the benefits of wearing prescription glasses, improving visual acuity and preventing the eye strain that can cause refractive errors like myopia to worsen. The best part is that there are countless ways to integrate this leafy green vegetable into your diet. From smoothies and salads to simple dips, it’s up to you! To ensure your spinach is organic, make sure its packaging has a USDA Organic seal.
Salmon
Though salmon boasts many benefits, including improved brain health and diabetes management, it’s also considered an eye-friendly ingredient. It containsOmega-3 fatty acids that can lower your overall blood pressure. That can be crucial since glaucoma—a blindness-causing disease that doesn’t exhibit symptoms—occurs due to high intraocular pressure, which in turn can be caused by hypertension. With the Glaucoma Research Foundation finding that even moderate walking or jogging workouts can significantly lower intraocular pressure, eating more salmon can help you more effectively lower your risk of developing glaucoma. Organic salmon is certified by the likes of the Marine Stewardship Council. To best maintain its nutrients, eat it raw or cook it with moisture-based methods like poaching or steaming.
Sweet potatoes
If you have dry eyes because you wear contact lenses or clock a lot of screen time, you probably use moisturizing eye drops to supplement your natural tear film. The likes of the Blink Gel Tears use thicker formulas to provide better and longer-lasting hydration. However, a revamped, eye-friendly diet with foods rich in Vitamin A can help you more effectively get to the root of the problem, as this particular nutrient can spur natural tear production. That’s why sweet potatoes will be the tasty treat you need. A single one, when baked with its skin on, can provide up to 1,403mcg of Vitamin A. That’s a whopping 561% of the average person’s daily Vitamin A requirement! The best part is that sweet potatoes are considered part of the Clean Fifteen, or foods that are the least likely to have pesticide residue.
Sunflower seeds
Unhealthy lifestyle habits, like smoking and eating processed foods full of added salt, sugar, and fat, can expose your eyes to free radicals that can break down healthy cells and potentially cause a number of vision conditions down the line. Of course, quitting these habits by embarking on a smoking cessation journey and minimizing your consumption of processed foods can help. If you want to go even further, you can eat sunflower seeds to help your eyes recover after you quit. They’re rich in Vitamin E, which can scavenge any remaining free radicals and slow the rate at which they damage your eyes. Make sure the sunflower seeds you snack on, bake into bread, or add to your pesto are certified or produced by the Organic Sunflower Seed Initiative.
Red bell pepper
The sun’s UV rays can deeply and gradually damage your eyes, putting you at risk of developing vision loss through conditions like cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. To shield against them, eye care professionals recommend wearing protective sunglasses that come with a “UV400" label. This ensures that models from reputable brands, like the popular Aviator and Wayfarer from Ray-Ban, can block 99% to 100% of the sun’s UVA or UVB rays. You can easily supplement that protection by consuming more red bell peppers. They’re among the most potent sources of Vitamin C, which offers your eyes natural UV protection. However, it’s important to note that red bell peppers are part of the Dirty Dozen, which are likely to have the highest levels of pesticide residue. That said, buy them organic as much as possible or grow the mat home. It’s also best to eat them raw, as Vitamin C dissipates with the heat of cooking.