What Should You Eat to Keep Your Eyes Healthy?

By Allegra Gallian –

This post is sponsored by EyePromise.

When you think about living a healthy lifestyle, what comes to mind? We’re guessing you’re thinking about eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, limiting sugar and carbs, monitoring sodium intake, and drinking in moderation, perhaps. These are indeed all aspects of focusing on your health and wellness, but have you given much thought to the health of your eyes?

Like the rest of your body, your vision is affected as you age. As you get older, the risk of eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, dry eyes and retinal disorders increases, but vision may not be a top health priority until something happens.

Take Aging Healthy Heather, for example. She’s a woman in her mid-life who lives a healthy, active lifestyle. In the back of her mind, she knows that her eye health is something she should pay attention to, but what she doesn’t realize that how strongly eye health and diet are linked. In fact, what you eat directly affects your vision quality.

Eye Health and Diet

Now is the perfect time to be proactive about your eye health. Ensure that your vision is taken care of, along with the rest of your body, but adding these foods to your weekly eating plan.

Fish

Salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, trout and anchovies are all great seafood options for vision health. They are chock-full of omega-3 fatty acids, which help protect against dry eyes and macular degeneration. If seafood isn’t your favorite meal, you can still reap the benefits by taking a fish oil supplement regularly.

Whole Grains

Swap refined carbohydrates for foods that have a low glycemic index, such as whole grains like quinoa, whole oats, brown rice and whole wheat bread and pasta. You’ll get zinc, vitamin E and niacin from these whole grain items, which have been shown to benefit overall eye health.

Leafy Greens

Kale, spinach, swiss chard and collard greens are all excellent leafy greens that you should include in your diet. They are full of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are antioxidants that help lower your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. When it comes to leafy greens, there are tons of ways to enjoy, whether you eat them raw in a salad, sauté them as a side dish or blend them into a smoothie.

Eggs

Eggs are another versatile food that are great for your eye health. The yolk, in particular, is another source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are essential nutrients for aging eyes. Eggs are also a source of vitamin A, which works to protect from dry eyes and blindness. Whether you prefer them scrambled, hard boiled, poached or in an omelet, your eyes will thank you for eating this breakfast staple.

Citrus Fruits and Berries

You know eating fruits and veggies is good for you, but berries and citrus fruits, like grapefruits, lemons and oranges, benefit your eye health in particular. This is because these fruits are loaded with vitamin C, which lowers the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.

Nuts

Nuts, like fish, are another great source of omega-3 fatty acids. They’re also full of vitamin E, which has been shown to slow down macular degeneration. If you’re searching for a healthy snack, opt for almonds, walnuts or pistachios.

Supplementing Healthy Eating

Even if you eat a well-balanced diet filled with the foods listed 90 percent of the time or more, it’s still almost impossible to get the full amount of vitamins and nutrients needed to properly protect your vision, especially during middle age and your later years.

That’s why it’s a great idea to supplement your meal plan with an eye vitamin such as EyePromise Vizual Edge. It contains those antioxidants zeaxanthin and lutein, which are so important to your eye health. These nutrients work by protecting your vision from harmful blue light and act like internal sunglasses to provide a barrier and safeguard your vision.

Be like Aging Healthy Heather and consider taking an EyePromise vision supplement in addition to eating a healthy, well-balanced diet every day to ensure that your eyes are fully protected.

Allegra Gallian is a freelance writer and blogger who specializes in lifestyle, health, wellness and fitness. She lives in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. When she’s not writing, Allegra enjoys reading, cooking and spending time with friends and family.