Eating for healthy eyes

Everyone knows that healthy eating promotes good health.  But did you know there are foods you can eat to promote good eye health?  The New York State Department of Health has a great article, Look to Fruits and Vegetables for Good Eye Health.  They note that eating more fruits and vegetables will improve eye health and help prevent some eye diseases.  Choosing foods rich in antioxidants is the key to better eye health.  (Fruits and vegetables are good for your overall health, see “Why are berries and other fruit and veggies so good for your health?”)  Fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants but a number of other foods are also rich in antioxidants.  

What antioxidants protect our eyes and what foods provide those antioxidants? 

Lutein and Zeaxanthin – you may have seen commercials on TV that promote lutein.  If you look at the daily vitamin/mineral supplement you may be taking, you may find “lutein” listed.  These antioxidants have been shown to slow the progression of some eye diseases and “play an important role in protecting again age-related macular degeneration”.  Foods rich in these two antioxidants include:

• Eggs, dark green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, turnip greens, collard greens, romaine lettuce), broccoli, zucchini, corn, garden peas, and Brussels sprouts

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) – Vitamin C helps delay and may even help prevent cataracts – the “clouding of the lens” of the eye.  NIH notes, “...it seems clear that a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, coupled with healthy lifestyles can help reduce the risk factors for age related cataracts...”  What foods are good sources of vitamin C?

• Red and green peppers.  Red peppers are especially high in C.
• 100% juice from orange, grapefruit or guava.  Tomato juice.  Be sure it is 100% juice and not a juice drink. 
• Oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon
• Other vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, potato, tomato 

 

Vitamin E – most people never think about their intake of vitamin E.  This vitamin is an antioxidant that helps protect your eyes and may protect age-related eye diseases.  Along with lutein and Zeaxanthin, vitamin E may help protect against cataracts.  What foods are good sources of vitamin E?

• Vegetable oils:  sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil
• Wheat germ and whole grains
• Nuts:  almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts and peanut butter
• Seeds:  sunflower seeds

Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene – you may know that eating carrots is good for your eyes.  Carrots contain beta-carotene that your body converts to vitamin A.  Foods rich in beta-carotene are orange, green and red.  The darker the color, the richer the food is in beta-carotene.  Thus, iceberg lettuce would provide little beta-carotene but spinach and other dark-green leafy vegetables are rich sources of beta-carotene.  Beta-carotene is another antioxidant that helps prevent cataracts.  (It also helps prevent aging skin, some cancers and heart disease.)  What foods are rich sources of beta-carotene/vitamin A?

• Beef liver – vitamin A is stored in the liver so live is a good source.
• Dark orange vegetables and fruit:  sweet potatoes, pumpkin including pumpkin pie, carrots, cantaloupe, apricots
• Dark Green vegetables:  spinach, green peppers
• Red:  red peppers, tomatoes
• Dairy:  Milk – cow’s milk, yogurt

Zinc – this mineral is important for eye health.  Zinc and vitamin A work together to help protect your eyes.  You don’t want to start taking supplements of zinc as too much can affect absorption of copper, although many zinc supplements also provide copper.  Better to get your zinc from foods.  What foods are good sources of the mineral, zinc?

• Oysters – are the highest in zinc of all foods.  Other seafood that provides zinc includes crab and lobster
• Meat, poultry:  beef roast, beef patty, pork chops, chicken
• Vegetables:  baked bean, chickpeas
• Dairy:  Swiss cheese, cow’s milk yogurt

In the nutrition class, I always recommend eating fruits and vegetables and aiming for at least 5 A Day.  The color of the fruits and vegetables is an indicator of the nutrients that fruit or vegetable provides.  Eating a rainbow of colors means you are getting different antioxidants   How can you eat for better eye health this week?

 

Sources:  Look to Fruits and Vegetables for Good Eye Health , Why are berries and other fruit and veggies so good for your health , eye diseases , cataracts , NIH notes , sources of vitamin C , beta-carotene , prevent , rich sources , mineral , good sources  Image Sources:  food for eyes , antioxidants , vitamin C