Important Vitamins and Minerals for Eye Health
“Eyes that see do not grow old,’- a Nicaraguan proverb is a gist of what we are going to be telling you about eye health. Many believe that deteriorating eye health is an age-related condition that inevitably befalls everyone. This is, however, a misconstrued assumption.
Conditions like presbyopia, glaucoma, dry eyes, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and low vision begin as we grow older. However, the delay of their onset depends mainly on our diet and lifestyle. Nutritional adequacy plays a critical role in maintaining healthy eyes and keeping age-related eye diseases at bay. Vitamin A, Vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids play a vital role in ocular health.
The eye is the most important and sensitive organ in the human body. We see and perceive things with our eyes; they are visual cues that are sent to the brain to process information about the world around us.
Eating a wholesome and balanced diet with an active lifestyle improves overall fitness and wellbeing, including eye health. But there are specific foods for ocular health that we need to incorporate in our daily diet, which help us prevent eye damage from the ill effects of our modern digital-dependent lives.
Let’s know about specific vitamins and minerals that are essential for good vision, preventing issues like retina damage, blue-light irritation, eye muscle fatigue, and digital eye strain, among other things. Intake of these nutrients will delay the onset of other age-related macular diseases and improve eye vision.
Vitamin A
According to the World Health Organisation, Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in more than half of all countries, especially Africa and South-East Asia. Vitamin A deficiency results from an inadequate dietary intake of the micronutrient.
Retinol and carotene are the most common forms of vitamin A in food essential for eye health. It is required to form the photoreceptor rhodopsin, which is particularly helpful in allowing our eyes to see at night and in poor light conditions. Therefore, Vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness, dry eyes, and corneal damages.
A regular intake of vitamin A-rich foods like cod liver oil, liver, butter, cheese, eggs, fish, vegetable sources, carrot, broccoli, yellow/red pepper, spinach, and lettuce is recommended to fulfill your daily dietary requirements.
Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is present in the lens, which acts as a natural sunscreen that protects the lens from oxidative damage caused by UV light. Additionally, it regenerates Vitamin E that enhances the anti-oxidation defense of the eyes. Clouding of lens is the most common age-related eye disease caused due to oxidative stress. Studies have proven the association between lens cataracts and oxidative damage. Thus it is essential to maintain the required dietary intake of antioxidant-rich foods and supplements to delay the progression of cataracts.
The best dietary sources of vitamin E & C include almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, avocados, and vegetable oils like flaxseed oil, wheat germ oil, safflower oil, oranges, guavas, acerola cherries, bell peppers, and lemon.
Green leafy vegetables and legumes, beans, chickpeas, fish like tuna and salmon, chicken, and meats are dietary sources of Vitamin B6, B9, and B12.
One's eye health must be given a lot of attention as it hugely impacts the quality of life. It is essential to provide the body with adequate nutrients that boost eye health and protect against degenerative diseases. Wellbeing Nutrition’s Melts for Eye Care are plant-based, non-GMO, GMP certified all-natural formula with bioactive ingredients that work in absolute synergy. Each thin oral strip of Melts for Eye Care contains Lutemax 2020, a patented extract naturally derived from Marigold flowers containing all three macular carotenoids – Lutein, RR-zeaxanthin, and RS (meso)-zeaxanthin. The goodness of organic beetroot contains phytochemicals that naturally improve eye health and protect your eyes from age-related degeneration. NAG is a natural sugar found in the body that helps create hyaluronic acid, which lubricates the eyes and maintains visual acuity. This vital ingredient is also present in these oral thin strips. The product also contains Bilberry, a natural remedy for retina disorders, cataract issues, nearsightedness, and glaucoma, and a rich source of antioxidants.
Conditions like presbyopia, glaucoma, dry eyes, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and low vision begin as we grow older. However, the delay of their onset depends mainly on our diet and lifestyle. Nutritional adequacy plays a critical role in maintaining healthy eyes and keeping age-related eye diseases at bay. Vitamin A, Vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids play a vital role in ocular health.
The eye is the most important and sensitive organ in the human body. We see and perceive things with our eyes; they are visual cues that are sent to the brain to process information about the world around us.
Eating a wholesome and balanced diet with an active lifestyle improves overall fitness and wellbeing, including eye health. But there are specific foods for ocular health that we need to incorporate in our daily diet, which help us prevent eye damage from the ill effects of our modern digital-dependent lives.
Let’s know about specific vitamins and minerals that are essential for good vision, preventing issues like retina damage, blue-light irritation, eye muscle fatigue, and digital eye strain, among other things. Intake of these nutrients will delay the onset of other age-related macular diseases and improve eye vision.
Essential Vitamins and Minerals for Eye Health
The important micronutrients that improve eye health are as follows.Vitamin A
According to the World Health Organisation, Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in more than half of all countries, especially Africa and South-East Asia. Vitamin A deficiency results from an inadequate dietary intake of the micronutrient.Retinol and carotene are the most common forms of vitamin A in food essential for eye health. It is required to form the photoreceptor rhodopsin, which is particularly helpful in allowing our eyes to see at night and in poor light conditions. Therefore, Vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness, dry eyes, and corneal damages.
A regular intake of vitamin A-rich foods like cod liver oil, liver, butter, cheese, eggs, fish, vegetable sources, carrot, broccoli, yellow/red pepper, spinach, and lettuce is recommended to fulfill your daily dietary requirements.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin
The macula, a flat yellow spot at the center of the retina, contains two dietary carotenoid pigments-Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which play a crucial role in protecting the retina against damage from high-energy light waves. Lutein reduces inflammation in your eyes, boosts the sharpness of your vision, and protects the retina against light-induced damage. Zeaxanthin protects eye cells from the harmful effects of high-energy light waves, including ultraviolet rays from the sun and blue light from screens. Foods rich in these carotenoids are spinach, kale, pumpkin, pasta, corn, carrots, orange/yellow peppers, fish, salmon, and egg yolk.Vitamin E & C
Vitamin E is a rich antioxidant that protects the eyes from oxidative stress, which causes cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It protects the fatty acids of the retina from damaging free radicals and maintains good eye health.Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is present in the lens, which acts as a natural sunscreen that protects the lens from oxidative damage caused by UV light. Additionally, it regenerates Vitamin E that enhances the anti-oxidation defense of the eyes. Clouding of lens is the most common age-related eye disease caused due to oxidative stress. Studies have proven the association between lens cataracts and oxidative damage. Thus it is essential to maintain the required dietary intake of antioxidant-rich foods and supplements to delay the progression of cataracts.
The best dietary sources of vitamin E & C include almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, avocados, and vegetable oils like flaxseed oil, wheat germ oil, safflower oil, oranges, guavas, acerola cherries, bell peppers, and lemon.
Vitamins B6, B9, and B12
Research has proven that a group of Vitamin B promotes eye health and vision. Vitamin B6, B9 or folic acid and B12 can lower homocysteine levels, a protein that causes age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Green leafy vegetables and legumes, beans, chickpeas, fish like tuna and salmon, chicken, and meats are dietary sources of Vitamin B6, B9, and B12.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids play an essential role in ocular health and preventing glaucoma, dry eyes, and macular degeneration. It is imperative to obtain them from diets and supplements, as our bodies cannot synthesize them. Rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids to include in your diet are flaxseeds, chia seeds, fish, walnuts, tofu, shellfish, canola oil, brussels sprouts, and avocados.One's eye health must be given a lot of attention as it hugely impacts the quality of life. It is essential to provide the body with adequate nutrients that boost eye health and protect against degenerative diseases. Wellbeing Nutrition’s Melts for Eye Care are plant-based, non-GMO, GMP certified all-natural formula with bioactive ingredients that work in absolute synergy. Each thin oral strip of Melts for Eye Care contains Lutemax 2020, a patented extract naturally derived from Marigold flowers containing all three macular carotenoids – Lutein, RR-zeaxanthin, and RS (meso)-zeaxanthin. The goodness of organic beetroot contains phytochemicals that naturally improve eye health and protect your eyes from age-related degeneration. NAG is a natural sugar found in the body that helps create hyaluronic acid, which lubricates the eyes and maintains visual acuity. This vital ingredient is also present in these oral thin strips. The product also contains Bilberry, a natural remedy for retina disorders, cataract issues, nearsightedness, and glaucoma, and a rich source of antioxidants.
Final takeaway
Our eyes help us create a lifetime of visual memories throughout our lives. Thus, taking care of our eyes is of utmost importance. Therefore, we need to be conscious of our diet and be mindful of the nutrients we consume from time to time to take care of our vision and overall eye health.
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Afaaf Shaikh
A holistic nutritionist with 5 years+ experience in Clinical, Bariatric, Nutrition and Lifestyle management and an expert on Gut Health and Child Nutrition.
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