When it comes to taking care of your vision, what you consume might have a significant effect on what you see. For natural eye care, it is essential that you consume foods that contain ample quantities of minerals and vitamins. They help to keep the cells and tissues healthy.
Eating more fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards protecting you against diseases and improving your overall health.
The vitamins and minerals present in food play a major role in helping prevent two common causes of vision issues: cataracts and macular degeneration. A cataract is a cloudy patch that forms over the lens of the eyes and is one of the most common causes of poor vision as well as blindness. Often surgery is needed to replace the cloudy lens with an artificial one.
One of the best natural eye care tips that you can follow for your eyes is to consume a balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, and low in sugar and saturated fats. Nature has all that you require for vision protection.
Here are some important nutrition tips that you can include in your daily diet:
Carrots – Carrots and the other orange-colored fruits and veggies are good for natural eye care and help in protecting vision. Beta-carotene, which is a type of Vitamin A, lends an orange color to the foods, and this enables the retina as well as the other parts of the eyes to function well. It is an important element in promoting good night vision. According to some studies people who eat foods that comprise vitamin A have a lower risk of developing cataracts.
Take one carrot a day or a helping of pumpkin or sweet potato. You can cook them with a little oil; it helps break the thick walls of the vegetables and enables the body to absorb the nutrients better. Winter squash, apricots, cantaloupe, peaches, sweet potatoes and mangoes are also excellent sources of beta carotene.
Leafy green vegetables – They are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. These are antioxidants that decrease the risk of contracting cataracts and macular degeneration. Lutein is found abundantly in vegetables such as broccoli, roman lettuce, and spinach. Zeaxanthin is more available in foods such as spinach and kale. Studies have shown that 10mg of lutein every day and 2mg of zeaxanthin per day are good for eye health.
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The antioxidants present in the vegetables act as a natural sunscreen for the eyes and protect them from harmful UV rays. Lutein forms pigments in the macula that keeps out harmful blue light waves that can cause damage to the eyes. The more the number of pigments that are present in the eyes, the less it is likely to contract age-related macular degeneration.
Citrus and berries – These contain plenty of vitamin C, which helps to slow the development of cataracts and macular degeneration. Sprinkle a handful of berries on your breakfast cereal or add to your fruit smoothie.
Avocado – Avocados comprise lutein, which is essential to help prevent cataracts and macular degeneration. The fruit is also rich in many other important vitamins for eyes such as Vitamin A, B, C, B6 and E. The fruit is also excellent for overall health.
Nuts – Almonds, walnuts and pistachios contain plenty of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, which are excellent for your eye health. A handful of nuts per day is good enough to help give a boost to your natural eye care.
Black currants – One of the top nutrition tips for eye vision is to eat black currants, which comprise high levels of anthocyanins, and essential fatty acids.
Bell peppers – A nutritional powerhouse, they are very good to decrease the risk of macular degeneration. One cup of bell peppers everyday completes the daily requirement of important vitamins for eyes – vitamins A and C.
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Apart from including healthy eating tips in your natural eye care routine, you can protect your eyes by conducting an eye examination every year. Regular checkups will help you prevent any eye problem. Also, adopting a healthy lifestyle – regular exercises, no smoking, and less stress – can go a long way towards increasing your defense against eye issues.
