The Best Food For Your Eyes

Good nutrition is essential to maintain our health, fuel our stamina and boost our immune system. But did you know that our eyes need good nutrition, too? 

We tend to take for granted that “eating healthy” will cover all bases, when in fact we should make sure we are consuming foods that will protect our eyes and prevent vision issues.

It’s actually quite easy – foods that are good for our eyes and contain all the nutrients they need are also… you guessed it… delicious.

Dr. Vargas’ Nutrition Tips: 

These are Dr. Vargas’ food picks for a delicious and efficient way to enhance your eye health:

• Spinach, kale, collard greens, arugula, swiss chard. Dark leafy greens contain two powerful allies in the fight for eye health – lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that do an excellent job at preventing all kinds of vision issues: dryness, poor night vision, early onset of cataracts and macular degeneration. They also defend our eyes from environmental aggressors such as bright sunlight, smoke, and pollution.
• Salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, shrimp, freshly ground flaxseeds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, brown rice, quinoa. These already sound like the ingredients for several delicious dishes – but on top of that, they are excellent sources of two important nutrients – selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. Enemies of macular degeneration, both nutrients are excellent in the prevention of chronic dry eyes.
• Sweet peppers (red or green), kale, strawberries, broccoli, oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines. cantaloupe. Great sources of Vitamin C, the other key element in a foundation of vision health, slowing down the progression of cataracts and macular degeneration.
• Carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, butternut squash. Remember that old joke you probably heard as a kid about why we don’t see rabbits wearing glasses? There’s some truth to it: carrots (and orange/red/ reddish yellow roots) contain high doses of beta-carotene, an essential element our eyes need. Combined with zinc and vitamin C, beta-carotene can slow down the progression of cataracts and macular degeneration.
• Almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts. Add these to a diet reach on Vitamin C and omega 3 fatty acids foods and you’ll have the perfect shield against cataracts and macular degeneration, preventing dry eye, too.
   

Doesn’t it all sound like the ingredients for a wonderful meal? Make sure to include plenty of these tasty foods in your diet – your eyes will thank you!