Best food for eye health
It is commonly said that our health has an impact on what we eat. It is entirely focused on the meals to choose in order to protect our visual health.
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In addition
to being rich in iron, spinach is also very good for our eyes! and also, they
can be harvested all year round. All the more reason to eat it.
Eating spinach provides our eyes with essential nutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin. These two nutrients play an essential role in protecting the eye against UV rays. They also help prevent eye diseases such as AMD. So don't skimp on the means: spinach must be part of the menu more than ever, no offence to the youngest.
Lutein and zeaxanthin
Lutein and zeaxanthin are two important xanthophyll carotenoids. they are organic pigments made by plants that give fruits and vegetables a
yellow to reddish hue.
While their
atom arrangements differ slightly, they are structurally very similar.
Strong
antioxidants include lutein and zeaxanthin. Antioxidants provide defence
against the harmful free radicals done to your body. and provide a variety of health
advantages. for protecting your eyes, lutein and zeaxanthin are best known.
Additionally, lutein and zeaxanthin serve to protect the delicate retina of your eyes from free radical damage.
The oxygen
and light that your eyes are exposed to encourage the creation of dangerous
oxygen-free radicals.
Together, lutein and zeaxanthin can more effectively combat free radicals, preventing them from harming the cells in your eyes. They can also shield your eye tissue from singlet oxygen and lipid peroxide damage. Age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, Diabetic retinopathy, Retinal detachment, and uveitis are chronic eye diseases that can be prevented or delayed by consuming lutein and zeaxanthin.
..The only dietary carotenoids that accumulate in your retina, particularly the macula region at the back of your eye, are lutein and zeaxanthin.
These
dietary carotenoids are frequently referred to as macular pigments because of the
concentrated amounts in which they are present in the macula.
The macula plays a crucial role in vision. By shielding your eyes from damaging free radicals, lutein and zeaxanthin serve as crucial antioxidants in this area. It is believed that a long-term decrease in these antioxidants can harm eye health.
Additionally
to acting as a natural sunblock and an efficient filter, lutein and zeaxanthin
compounds have the capacity to absorb excess high light energy.
They are believed to shield your eyes in particular from dangerous blue light before it enters and damages the delicate structures behind your eyes. like your choriocapillaris, retain pigment epithelium, and photoreceptors
Research has
shown that reducing the amount of blue light in your environment can reduce the
oxidative stress on your retina. This could explain how macular carotenoids
help lower the risk of macular degeneration...
To vary the pleasures, these foods also contain lutein and zeaxanthin: kale, winter squash, summer squash, broccoli, green peas, corn, and eggs.
Zeaxanthin is also part of the carotenoid family. It also gives its characteristic yellow colour to the grain of corn. Zeaxanthin is commonly found in kale. The latter is a superfood for eye health, in particular, thanks to its content of essential vitamins and minerals.
Lutein is one of over 600 recognized carotenoids. This beta carotene is found in egg yolk in particular, but also in yellow vegetables such as corn or carrots.
Green leafy vegetables such as spinach or sorrel are also rich. Some edible flowers, such as marigolds, also contain significant amounts of vitamin A.
Zinc is an essential mineral known for its benefits on the retina. While vitamin A protects the cornea, zinc transports this vitamin from the liver to the eyes. Zinc is found throughout the eye but more particularly in the retina and the choroid, which is none other than the vascular tissue of the eye.
This mineral improves night vision and prevents cataracts. A quality antioxidant mineral, zinc is most often found in red meats, seafood, and cheeses. But also in whole grain products. The latter, if they are refined, contain little zinc.
Hence the interest in choosing them as complete as possible and preferably organic to reduce pesticide intake.
Additionally, zinc transports vitamin A throughout the body and aids in its production as an active form.
It plays a crucial role in the production of DNA, cell growth, protein synthesis, the repair of damaged tissue, and the effective support of the body's healthy immune system. A sufficient amount of zinc is needed during periods of rapid growth, in the early years like childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy, as it aids cells in growing and developing to multiply.
Zinc is abundant in foods high in protein, but it can also be found in some plant-based foods. Among the food sources are:
- poultry, milk, and cheese, as well as red meat
- shellfish
- poultry
- milk and cheese
- whole grains
- cereals with added zinc.
To vary the pleasures: beef, veal, chicken, lobster, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds
Salmon for
omega-3 fatty acids!
They say fish is good for hair growth, but did you know it's also good for our eyes?
If you have dry eye syndrome (don't know what it is? Find out here), you may be lacking in Omega-3s. Docosahexaenoic acid is found in large quantities in the retina. We can easily deduce that it plays an essential role!
So to keep a
good level of omega-3s, work twice as hard on salmon, sardines, or even
mackerel.
In the prevention of eye disease, diet remains the first-line treatment. In fact, diet reduces the risk of developing certain eye diseases. The Mediterranean diet, more specifically, is found to be beneficial for eye health. Ocular complications could be avoided by consuming foods rich in antioxidant vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.
How to protect the eyes through diet? What foods and nutrients to focus on?
Antioxidants
For healthy eyes, the diet should be based on antioxidant foods, which fight against free radicals. These are responsible for the production of oxidative stress, which has adverse effects on eye health.12
Antioxidants allow the elimination of these toxins. Hence the interest in including them in our eating habits. Here is the list below, along with their sources and their impact on vision.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is necessary for the production of red and white blood cells as well as for the regulation and control of cellular reproduction and differentiation, bone repair and renewal, and healthy bone growth.
Because it is a part of the rhodopsin protein, it is also crucial for maintaining eye care. Retinal receptors in the eye can absorb light thanks to rhodopsin. Skin issues and night blindness can develop if your diet is deficient in vitamin A. A person who does not get enough vitamin A over time is more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration and cancer.
By maintaining the health of the retina, one of your body's most vital organs, and the outer layer of the eye that provides vision, vitamin A plays a significant role in vision.
This vitamin
is a part of the protein rhodopsin in your eyes, which allows you to see in dim
light.
However, if untreated, it can result in xerophthalmia, a serious condition.
The eye
condition known as xerophthalmia progresses from the time of onset until night
blindness. Your tear ducts and eyes may become dry if you don't get enough
vitamin A or if it continues. Your cornea softens over time, and severe damage can result in permanent blindness.
Additionally,
vitamin A aids in preventing other eye illnesses. food sources of vitamin A AMD
and cataracts
Supplements with vitamin A are advised for eye care. Among the best sources are sweet potatoes, leafy greens, pumpkins, and peppers.
Beta-carotenes
Kale has as many antioxidants as eggs or other lutein-rich foods. It contributes to the prevention of ocular pathologies, such as macular degeneration and cataracts.
These two beta carotenes, which help prevent aging of the eyes, are not synthesized by the body, hence the importance of providing them through food.
Vitamin C
Fruits and vegetables are obviously concerned because they are very rich in vitamin C. Oranges, kiwis, peppers, and lemons are therefore antioxidant foods par excellence. In addition, it maintains the optimal functioning of the blood circulation of the eyes.
It also reduces the risk of developing cataracts. Combined with other nutrients, it limits macular degeneration. Nevertheless, vitamin C is very sensitive. She fears oxygen, water, heat, and light. Foods rich in vitamin C are therefore recommended raw and should be eaten as soon as possible after preparation.
Vitamin E
Oily fruits such as almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts are considered healthy foods. Their significant richness in vitamin E contributes to the optimal supply of antioxidants.
It contributes to the prevention of age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration or cataracts. According to the National Health Nutrition Program update, a handful of nuts is recommended each day. In a salad, a homemade cake, as a snack, in yogurt or cereals, all forms of intake are possible. On the other hand, it is advisable to keep foods rich in vitamin E away from light, in opaque compartments.
Omega-3
To slow down the aging of the eyes, the diet must also be rich in omega-3s.
Omega-3s are essential fats not synthesized by the body. They are strongly recommended for consumption, in particular through oleaginous fruits, vegetable oils, and fatty fish.
They are also part of the update of the National Health Nutrition Program to promote their too little widespread consumption. It turns out, moreover, that omega-3s, in addition to preventing cardiovascular disease, are beneficial for eye health. They allow the development of sight and maintain the health of the retina. They also limit the drying of the eyes.
Carrots
“Eating carrots makes you lovable! », is a very famous expression, but for a bit incomplete. Indeed, carrots in addition to making people friendly, are also known for their benefits on eye health. It is by their characteristic richness in vitamin A and beta-carotene that carrots improve vision and prevent eye infections. Vitamin A in particular allows the eye to adapt to darkness. Hence it recommended intake to prevent the deterioration of night vision.
They can be eaten raw or cooked, in savory or sweet preparations (cakes). It is recommended, on the other hand, to favour them in raw vegetables because vitamin A is sensitive to heat and light. It is therefore important to keep foods rich in it away from light and in a cool place between 4 and 10°C.
Carrots have a reputation for making people lovable, but did you know that this vegetable is also very good for our eyes?
Thanks to the vitamin A they contain, carrots are necessary for the proper functioning of the retina. Vitamin A converts into substances that convert light into a nerve signal. Vitamin A also allows our eyes to adapt to the dark. For these two main reasons, foods rich in vitamin A are essential in our diet. Beta-carotene is also beneficial: it has the ability to turn into vitamin A in the human body.
Eggs
Egg yolk is found to be beneficial for eye health. The latter, by its richness in vitamin A and carotenoids, contributes to the prevention of eye diseases. Vitamin A is known to preserve the cornea in particular.3
It also slows down the aging of the eyes by preventing macular degeneration and cataracts. To best preserve vitamin A, it is advisable to eat eggs with the whites cooked and the yolk runny. In other words, soft-boiled, poached, or fried eggs.
sweet potatoes
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| sweet potatoes |
micrograms, according to the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine. They can consume more than their recommended daily allowance in one large sweet potato.
For vitamin C, citrus fruits or Brussels sprouts!
When we think of vitamin C, we have the reflex to think of oranges! And for good reason: oranges, like mandarins and clementines are rich in vitamin C. But what does this have to do with our eyes? Well, vitamin C is a very good antioxidant and thus protects the lens and the cornea. In the long term, it reduces the risk of cataracts. So, a small glass of squeezed orange juice? Unless you prefer a good plate of Brussels sprouts, also rich in vitamin C. The choice is yours.
To vary the pleasures: peach, broccoli, papaya, kiwi, red peppers, pineapple, mango.
Almonds, hazelnuts, or avocado? All three are sources of vitamins.
Like vitamin C, vitamin E is a good antioxidant! It preserves the health of your eyes by preventing the risks associated with AMD or cataracts.
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