Like any other part of your body, your eyes need nutrients to function. This article gives examples of foods that are good for your eyes, but also of products that can damage your eyesight.
Vitamin A
Many children have heard their mothers telling them to finish their carrots, as carrots are good for their eyes. There is some truth to this, as carrots and other vegetables contain Vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for the eyesight, since a form of the vitamin is attached to a protein in the eye’s retina that acts as a light absorber. Deficiency of Vitamin A can also cause Glaucoma and other eye disorders. Vitamin A is found in more than carrots though, such as in orange and yellow fruits, liver, eggs and dairy products.
Vitamin C
This vitamin increases your body's ability to create connective tissue, such as the collagen found in the cornea. It also helps maintain the body's blood vessels healthy, including the capillaries in the eye. Vitamin C works as a powerful antioxidant in your body. In the eyes, antioxidants reduce so-called oxidative stress, which is believed to be able cause age-related macular degeneration, AMD.
This is an eye condition that affects people in the forties or fifties, with symptoms that include blind spots, blurry night vision and even can cause blindness. It has also been shown to improve eye conditions such as edema of the retina and cataracts. Vitamin C is primarily found in citrus fruits and some berries and vegetables.
Coconut Oil
Not only is coconut oil a great compliment to increase the absorption of A vitamins, it's also a great, healthy saturated fat with important nutrients for your entire body. You can also use coconut oil and coconut water as a soothing eye moisturizer, which works as an effective antioxidant.
Harmful Nutrients
While it is important to think about what you are eating, is also import to think about what avoid. Fast food contains an excessive amount of polyunsaturated fat, refined sugar and man-made additives that can have a negative impact on your vision in the long run.
Monosodium Glutamate or MSG is a salt often used to enhance the flavor of processed Asian foods. Researchers at Hirosaki University in Japan were 2002 able to prove that excessive MSG can damage your eyes and even cause blindness. The substance binds to cells in the retina and destroys them, and reduces the ability of the surrounding cells to transmit electric signals.
Margarine often contains trans-fats that are unhealthy to your eyes. Deep-fried foods increase the amount of harmful free radicals in the body. Deep-frying food, also reduces the Vitamin C content and increases the amount of trans-fats.
Too much sugar and starch increase the risk of developing AMD. Any food that that makes your blood sugar rise, for example chocolate, makes your retina more vulnerable.
Summary
To sum up, having a varied diet with lots of whole fruits and vegetables and avoiding junk food is essential for preserving your eyesight as much as the rest of your body. Visit your eye doctor regularly to get your eyes checked, get further advice on preventive measures to protect your vision and to work out corrective measures such as glasses, contact lenses or surgery.
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