Were you ever told as a child to eat your carrots to promote good eyesight? Well, there just might be something to that after all. And it’s not just carrots that can help improve eyesight but fish, almonds, berries, avocados and a host of other foods that can help as well. 

Let’s explore vision and ways that good nutrition may be able to help promote good eye health. Additionally let’s look at eye issues that can not be solved through healthier choices but rather through other means. 

Common Eye Issues 

Many of us who wear glasses or contacts suffer from refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, or presbyopia. This type of visual difficulty can be treated with glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery. Eating extra servings of fish or carrots isn’t going to help these types of issues, although nutrient dense foods can and will help other systems in your body such as your heart. 

There are other eye issues such as age-related macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness is people over 50) that do respond favorably to nutritional changes. Since age-related loss of eyesight affects 11 million people in the United States and that number is expected to nearly double by 2050, you may want to take note of some foods that can help promote good eye health as you age. 

Foods For The Eyes 

If you are over 50 and hoping to prevent any age-related eye issues, you may be looking for food that can help promote good eye health. Here are a few foods to incorporate into your diet. 

  • Foods with Omega-3s such as salmon and tuna
  • Foods with Vitamin C such as cauliflower, cabbage, lemons, and oranges
  • Foods with Vitamin A such as eggs, milk and carrots
  • Foods with Vitamin E such as almonds, peanuts and sunflower seeds
  • Foods with Anthocyanin such as blueberries and blackberries

Fish, our favorite food to study, eat and write about contains essential fatty acids, specifically omega-3s. In the eyes, omega-3s have been found to be beneficial for dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction. They also may help with macular degeneration.

There are many ongoing studies regarding the omega-3s in fish but one particular report stood out to us. As reported by Dr. Robin Miller on ShareCare, there are current studies that show that seniors who eat one serving of fish or shellfish per week are 60% less likely to have macular degeneration.

So next time you are out food shopping consider adding some of these foods to your cart to promote good eye health. As always consult your doctor and get regular eye check ups.