By Mr. Luke Coutinho,
Adviser of Integrative Lifestyle and Nutrition at Purenutrition.me
Your eyesight is one of the most important senses you could have – it is thus very important that you protect them and reduce the odds of vision loss. Your eyes are often prone to damage due to inflammatory processes of the conjunctiva, cornea and uvea. However, you could prevent retinal degeneration and other pathologic conditions occurring in your optic nerves if you prevent oxidative stress.
The key to that process is consuming antioxidant-rich foods that can prevent or slow your cell damage, especially that of your eyes’. Available in both natural and artificial forms, certain foods rich in antioxidants neutralize free radicals (which cause oxidative stress) in your body and boost your eye health.
Here’s a list of 7 Antioxidant-rich foods that you should consume for healthy Eyes:
1. Green leafy vegetables: Antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin are found enormously in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuces, broccoli, etc. Lutein & zeaxanthin helps reduce the risk for chronic eye diseases as well as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
2. Nuts, seeds and legumes: Nuts are excellent sources of Vitamin E and Omega-3 fatty acids. Consume nuts like walnuts, cashews, peanuts, brazil nuts, legumes like lentils & beans. Include seeds in your diet like chia seeds, flax seeds and hemp seeds to protect your eyes from age-related damage and oxidative stress.
3. Carrots: Rich in Vitamin A and beta carotene, carrots are an excellent source of rhosopsins that help your retina absorb light better. Deficiencies in Vitamin A being the leading cause of blindness, consuming foods rich in the vitamin such as carrots can help prevent vision loss, cataracts and macular degeneration.
4. Sea Food: Being excellent sources of zinc, sea foods like oysters, crabs and lobsters are extremely beneficial for your eye health. Zinc is an essential trace mineral that plays a vital role in bringing Vitamin A from your Liver to your retina and produce the protective eye pigment – melanin. Also, zinc is highly concentrated in your eyes, especially the retinal and choroid areas.
5. Eggs: Being excellent sources of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, zinc, lutein and zeaxanthin, consuming eggs can reduce age-related vision loss. Particularly, they are high in lutein- a carotenoid that can fight macular degeneration which is one the leading cause of blindness. Also, studies have proven that human body is able to absorb lutein better from eggs than other sources.
6. Citrus Fruits: Citrus Fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruits are rich sources of Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Vitamin C helps lower your risks for developing cataracts and slow the progression of visual acuity loss and age-related macular degeneration.
7. Sweet Potatoes: Rich in Vitamin E and beta carotene, sweet potatoes can do well for your eye health. Vitamin E being a powerful antioxidant, researchers also indicated that it can protect your eye cells from free radicals and prevents the breakdown of healthy tissues in your eyes.
Also, don’t forget to consume enough water. Water can be a fluid essential for both life as well as for your eye health. Drinking plenty of water can prevent dehydration which helps reduce symptoms of Dry eyes.