Research suggests that antioxidants reduce your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Specific antioxidants can have additional benefits as well; for example, vitamin A protects against blindness, and vitamin C may play a role in preventing or alleviating glaucoma. Essential fatty acids appear to help the eye in a variety of ways, from alleviating symptoms of dry eye syndrome to guarding against macular damage.
Eating healthily will also help protect your eyes. Try these foods to make sure you get enough eye-protecting nutrients:
- Vitamin A carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash.
- Lutein and zeaxanthin: spinach, kale.
- Vitamin C: sweet peppers (red or green), kale, strawberries, broccoli, oranges, sweetmelon.
- Bioflavonoids: citrus fruits, cherries, grapes, plums.
- Vitamin E: sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts.
- Selenium: brazil nuts, yeast, seafood.
- Zinc: oysters, wheat, nuts.
- Fatty acids: Flax seed, cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel, trout).
Is eating carrots really good for the eyes, or do moms just say that to inflict the vegetable on their kids? Well, one average-sized carrot contains twice the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin A, which happens to be very good for your eyes. If you don't like carrots, don't worry — lots of yummy (and some notso- yummy) foods contain vitamin A and other nutrients your eyes need.
Antioxidants
Anti-oxidants help scavenge and “neutralize” free radicals (OH hydroxyl radicals). Free radicals are atoms or molecules that are missing a pair of electrons, making them unstable. Because of this instability, free radicals can damage healthy cells: cross linking of collagen can occur (leading to wrinkles) and oxidation can harm lipids and proteins essential for healthy skin.
Therefore, free radicals are a major cause of aging skin and anti-oxidants a major weapon against free radicals. Free radicals can also cause damaging cellular inflammation and anti-oxidants can diminish or eliminate this inflammation. All anti-oxidants have anti-inflammatory properties.
More and more people are talking about antioxidants these days, and their probable role in reducing the risks of all sorts of diseases. Eye disease is no exception: research suggests that certain antioxidants can reduce the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration and more.
Vitamin A and Carotenoids: Antioxidants for Sight. Is carotenoid a fancy word for carrot? Not quite, but they are related. Carotenoids give carrots their orange color. You can find them in many red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, as well as in green, leafy vegetables (which are a great source of the carotenoid lutein).
Vitamin C and Bioflavonoids: The Batman and Robin of Eye Health. Ever-popular vitamin C may reduce your risk of glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration. Bioflavonoids help your body to absorb vitamin C and sometimes work as antioxidants themselves.
Vitamin E and Minerals: Nutrition from Nuts. Like vitamins A and C, vitamin E may reduce your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. The minerals selenium and zinc help your body to absorb antioxidant vitamins and may have their own protective effects as well.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) EFAs: Fat You Can Use. You're getting too much fat in your diet ... and not enough: we consume way too much omega-6 fatty acid and not nearly enough omega-3. These fatty acids affect the eyes in a wide variety of ways.
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