When it comes to staying healthy as we age, we may tend to focus on our heart, brain, and bones, first. But healthy aging also involves seeing well into the future. Keeping our eyes healthy is an important way to help prevent age-related eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, vision loss, dry eyes, cataracts, and problems with night vision. While an overall healthy, active lifestyle is the key to bright eyes, adding more of these six healthy foods to your diet will help keep them sparkling and strong.
Dark Green, Leafy Vegetables
To prevent eye diseases such as a macular degeneration, a condition which causes progressive damage to the retina, resulting in a gradual loss of vision-dark green vegetables, such as kale, spinach, collard greens and dark green lettuce should definitely be on the menu. That’s because they contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two important nutrients that have antioxidant functions in the body and help to prevent cell damage.
Sweet Potatoes and Yams
Bright orange fruits and vegetables get their color from beta carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, that helps promote healthy vision. It also helps the eyes to adjust to low levels of light at night. Squash, carrots, apricots and pumpkin do the same kind of work.
The omega-3 fatty acids that are found in oily fish, such as salmon, sardines, tuna and mackerel, have all sorts of health benefits including your eyes. In fact, a study proved that omega-3 fatty acids helped to protect adults from both age-related macular degeneration and dry eye syndrome. Omega-3 helps modulate the inflammation that can lead to dry eyes. However, that some omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids can actually cause inflammation in the eyes and we should avoid those supplements if we suffer from dry eyes.
While this hearty cruciferous vegetable has long been touted for keeping cancer and heart disease at bay, it’s important for eye health, too. In addition to containing lutein and zeaxanthin, broccoli is also high in vitamin C. It’s the synergy of nutrients. That particular food and that particular combination of nutrients can actually reduce the progress of age-related macular degeneration and vision loss.
Wheat germ is a great source of vitamin E, another important antioxidant. What vitamin E does is protect the eyes from free-radical damage. It protects cells in the body from oxidation, which can cause deterioration and disease. Vitamin E may also decrease the progression of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. While wheat germ is an easy addition when you’re baking, it can also be sprinkled on oatmeal, yogurt, and salads, and mixed with smoothies. You can even add it to stews. Almonds, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts are also good sources of vitamin E.
From chickpeas and kidney beans, to mung beans and lentils, eating beans and other legumes is an easy way to add zinc to your diet. Zinc helps release vitamin A from the liver so that it can be used in eye tissues, while a zinc deficiency can cause deterioration of the macula, at the center of the retina. Serve up beans in stews and casseroles, or add them to salads. Zinc is also found in oysters, beef, poultry and pumpkin seeds.