Eye health is essential, and this has been ingrained in us since we were children. Eyes allow us to see everything, the colour of the sky during a sunset or the smile of a newborn baby. One should be immensely grateful for their vision, especially if it's 20/20, and if there isn't a need to wear glasses. Wearing glasses or contact lenses come with their own collection of pains and discomfort, which is why more and more people are opting for Lasik. A small medical procedure that helps your eyes see better by changing the shape of your corneas. Therefore, one would not need to use glasses or contact lenses in the future. However, some people are still a little wary of this procedure and do not wish to get it done for their own individual reasons. Due to this, many people wish to eliminate the need to go through eye-related hassles and look for ways to improve their eye health as naturally as possible.
Below are five foods that can help you do just that:
One major benefit of Omega-3 is that it helps to reduce the possibility of developing a disease known as Dry Eyes. Dry Eyes is a condition when your tears are unable to provide enough lubrication to your eyes, and therefore your eyes keep drying out, causing discomfort. Dry Eyes mostly happens due to excessive screen use and can decrease your vision and eye health. Omega-3 is, therefore, essential to maintain your eye health and help reduce the amount of tear evaporation and therefore prevent Computer Vision Syndrome related dry eyes.
Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and collards are rich in Vitamin C, which is derived from the lutein and the zeaxanthin present in them. Vitamin C is important for your eye health because it provides your eyes with collagen. This protein is fundamental for the structure building of your eyes and is therefore necessary for your eyes. If you have a Vitamin C deficiency, it may lead to serious vision issues. Vitamin C may also reduce your chances of getting cataracts, another condition related to the eyes that might lead to temporary or complete blindness.
Carrots are popularly known to improve eye health. The question is as to how. Carrots contain a large amount of beta-carotene, an important factor for the presence of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is known to improve eye health since it is crucial in maintaining a clear cornea, the protector, and outer layer of your eyes. Vitamin A also contains rhodopsin, a protein that helps you see in low light conditions. Therefore, feel free to consume carrots in either their raw form or even as a juice.
Nuts such as walnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, and peanuts are high in Omega-3 and Vitamin E. They are very easy to incorporate into your diet. Vitamin E is important because of how potent an antioxidant it is. It protects your eyes from harmful molecules and reduces the amount of damage that may be caused.
Citrus-based fruits such as lemons and oranges contain a high amount of Vitamin C. As mentioned above, not only Vitamin C is a good antioxidant, but it also produces collagen.
There are many other ways to improve or maintain eye health. Always remember that prevention is better than cure. When it comes to eyes, it seems to be a slippery slope with people getting tested and seeing their vision consistently decrease each year. One should be careful of the screen time they spend and what their eyes consume. Hopefully, this will help prevent any vision losses.
If you feel that you have some trouble reading and cannot see far away objects, please consult a doctor.
Sirpa Talvikki Autio MD
