Our vision changes inevitably, as we age, but your diet can play a role in how well our eyes function over time.
Nutrients in the food you eat, can support your retinal health, reduce oxidative stress, and help maintain visual clarity. Here are some tips on how to build your meals, so they protect your eye health, as you age.
Why Nutrition Matters More For Your Eyes Over Time
Your eyes face more stress as we age. Light, environmental toxins, high blood sugar and just normal wear can damage your retina and lens over the decades. This can raise your risk for age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and other age-related eye diseases.
Good nutrition helps to slow that damage, with nutrients like lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and omega-3 fats supporting your retinal health and lens clarity. You can protect your eyes by choosing food for eye health, like leafy greens, colorful fruits, oily fish, nuts and citrus fruits.
If you have diabetes, eating to control blood sugar lowers your risk of diabetic retinopathy. Having a healthy blood pressure and cholesterol also reduces the risks tied to glaucoma, and impaired vision.
Key Nutrients That Support Long Term Vision Health
Your eyes need specific nutrients to stay strong, and to resist age-related damage. Focus on having a mix of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Lutein and zeaxanthin sit in the retina and filter harmful light, so eating dark leafy greens (like spinach and kale), and add in other lutein-and-zeaxanthin sources to your plate to maintain your macular health.
Vitamin A and beta-carotene support good night vision, and support the outer surface of your eyes. You can find beta-carotene in carrots and sweet potatoes, which your body will convert into vitamin A.
Vitamin C helps to protect your eye tissues from oxidative stress, so having berries, citrus, and other antioxidant-rich foods in your daily diet, will help.
Plus, vitamin E works with other antioxidants to reduce any cell damage, and nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils provide vitamin E.
Lastly, zinc helps to transport your Vitamin E from the liver to your retinas. Good zinc sources include leaner meats, beans and fortified cereals, and zinc supports your normal visual function, as you age.
Role Of Healthy Fats In Protecting The Retina
Healthy fats support the delicate cells in your retina, and the retina needs fats to build cell membranes, and to send visual signals to your brain.
Omega-3 fatty acids (especially DHA and EPA) help keep your retinal cells flexible, and reduce inflammation, which can harm your vision over time.
You can get omega-3s from eating fatty fish like salmon, and from plant sources likes flaxseeds. Flaxseeds also provide ALA, which is a type of omega-3 that your body partly converts into DHA/EPA, so make sure you include some ground flaxseed in your smoothies, yogurt or oatmeal.
If you can, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed on meals daily, eat fatty fish 2 times a week and use oils that are high in healthy fats (like flaxseed oil or canola oil), for salad dressings.
Smart Protein Choices That Benefit Your Eyes
Choose proteins that are going to give your eyes both building blocks, and also protective nutrients. Proteins help to repair your eye tissue, and support the enzymes that keep your eyes working well.
Eggs are good choice, as the yolk contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which, as explained above, are two antioxidants that concentrate in the retina, to help filter harmful blue light. Eggs also give you vitamin A and high quality protein for eye cell repair.
Walnuts are a plant-based option which is rich in alpha-linolenic acid, protein and vitamin E, so adding them to salads or yogurt will boost both your healthy fats and protein in a single serving.
Lean meats, poultry, beans and dairy give you zinc and other minerals that help to transport vitamin A, and enzyme function within your eyes.
