Vitamins for eyes and better vision

Many people do not think about the foods or vitamins they should be consuming when it comes to eye health but luckily many of the vitamins you need for eye health are very similar to the ones for your overall health and wellbeing.

We have comprised a list of the best vitamins and antioxidants for eye health and the foods you can commonly find them in to make the process of buying these foods a little easier. Of course, you can take vitamin supplements or multivitamins if budgets or time is an issue. There are a number of eye supplements and multivitamins but try to ensure they include as many of the listed vitamins we have below. Nothing beats getting your vitamins naturally from food so if this is achievable, this should definitely be your option.

If you have any eye health concerns, you should turn to an optometrist or eye doctor. These eye health tips and vitamins can help improve eyes and vision, but serious eye problems should be dealt with through the help and advice of a professional.

Here is the list of vitamins for eyesight and health, as well as minerals to consider:

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a key contributor to your eyes lubrication and without enough vitamin A you could suffer from conditions such as dry eye. This vitamin also prevents the age-related short-sightedness, giving you a bit more time without the need for glasses. Another benefit of this is its ability to prevent night blindness a symptom of vitamin A deficiency. Being an antioxidant, this vitamin can also help get rid of any oxidants in the eye, preventing eye problems in the future.

Foods high in Vitamin A:

• Carrots
• Kale
• Sweet Potatoes

B Vitamins

There are many types of B vitamins and they all play a very important role in your vision and eye health. They can help reduce chronic inflammation as well as maintaining the homocysteine levels which can affect the retina. Like many of these vitamins listed, they are also able to reduce the risk of macular degeneration.

Foods high in B Vitamins:

• Peas – B1
• Eggs – B2
• Meat – B3
• Chicken – Pantothenic Acid
• Pork – B6
• Broccoli – Folic Acid
• Meat – B12

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is another antioxidant which is through to prevent age related conditions such as cataracts. This vitamin also helps the repair of many vital types of tissues and prevents a number of eye related conditions while keeping the eye in great condition.

Foods high in Vitamin C:

• Oranges
• Bell Peppers
• Black Current
• Kiwi

Vitamin E

Vitamin E works with Vitamin A and C to protect cells and tissue within the eye. It has also been proven to prevent age-related conditions like Macular Degeneration.

Foods high in Vitamin E:

• Almonds
• Spinach
• Avocados
• Sweet Potatoe
• Tomatoes

Omega-3 Fatty Acid

Omega-3 has been proven to help the effects of vision loss making it a great supplement for when it comes to eye health. They have also been proven to help with the development of vision making them incredibly important for children. They also minimize the effects of inflammation which can cause a variety of eye related problems.

Foods high in Omega-3:

• Mackerel
• Salmon
• Cod Liver Oil

Lutein

Lutein can be found in many healthy foods and helps prevent you from damages from the sun. This is thought to maintain the retina and the eye lens. People have even seen improvements with their cataracts while taking Lutein.

Foods high in Lutein:

• Kale
• Spinach
• Green peas

Zeaxanthin

Zeaxanthin works well with Lutein to maintain the health of the retina while limiting the effects of light on the eye. This is also proven to reduce the damage that can often lead to macular degeneration.

Foods high in Zeaxanthin:

• Kale
• Sweet potato leaves
• Spinach

Astaxanthin

This is a very powerful antioxidant and is used to prevent and some cases treat eye conditions. Its powerful antioxidant qualities allow it to help keep your eyes working at their optimum.

Foods high in Astaxanthin:

• Salmon
• Trout
• Arctic Char

Selenium

Selenium promotes healthy vision and helps the body absorb vitamin E and as you know this is very important. Selenium is a mineral rather than a vitamin but this mineral is still very important to helping your vision.

Foods high in Selenium:

• Brazil nuts
• Yellowfin Tuna
• Beef
• Chicken

Calcium

There are not huge benefits known about calcium to eye health but lack of calcium is proven to cause eye twitching which is often harmless but can be an annoyance if happening regularly. There are many foods eye in foods and you’ll often find mineral waters with lots of this mineral also.

Foods high in Calcium:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Okra

Zinc

Zinc helps vitamin A create a pigment called melanin, which protects your eye. Though zinc deficiency makes seeing at night more difficult, it acts as more of an aid to other vitamins in helping them do their job.

Foods high in Zinc:

• Beef
• lamb
• Spinach
• Pumpkin seeds

Copper

Copper is important to the production of Melanin. This is where peoples skin, eyes and hair come from. Without copper, this would not be possible and could lead to various problems with the eyes. Results of Copper deficiency are optic neuropathy in rare cases, causing loss of vision.

Foods high in Copper:

• Sunflower seeds
• Lentils
• Almonds