Caring for your eyes is a comprehensive effort. A healthy lifestyle will proactively keep your eyes healthy. For example, getting good sleep, staying hydrated, and protecting yourself from the sun will keep your body healthy, but it also directly correlates to eye health. Your diet is the same way. By eating healthily, you are not only improving your energy and longevity, you can also directly impact the health of your eyes. Lucky for you, many of the foods that improve eye health also benefit your heart and the rest of your body. Check out how these great foods directly impact your eye health!

Vitamin A

The best known vitamin for eye health is vitamin A. Vitamin A is what helps your retina transform light into the images your brain translates into sight. Vitamin A is also essential to maintaining the correct moisture in your eye and helps prevent dry eye. Carrots have been the pop sensation food for eye health for some time now. This came about because of this root vegetables high level of vitamin A. However, there are several other foods with equal or greater vitamin A that you can choose from. For example, sweet potatoes have more than 200% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A. Fruits like cantaloupe and apricots also contain high doses of this essential vitamin.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is crucial for eye health because it helps the body repair and grow new tissue cells. Fried food, tobacco products and the sun’s radiation can all destroy tissue in your eyes and body. Combatting that with high vitamin C foods can empower your body to repair itself from the damages and strains of everyday life. Citrus fruits, such as tangerines, grapefruits, oranges, and lemons, contain high levels of vitamin C. Antioxidants like vitamin C have also shown to prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts according to some studies.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Research suggests that consuming omega 3 fatty acids could prevent the development of eye diseases later on in life. They are also good for tear duct functions, and can help treat and prevent dry eye. While supplements are available, nutrition is always better in its natural form. If you are looking for natural ways to get omega 3 fatty acids in your diet, look into cold water fish. Tuna, salmon, trout, halibut, and sardines are all high in omega 3 fatty acids. 

Zinc

Zinc is a mineral that protects your eyes from the harmful effects of light and helps maintain retina health. Foods with high zinc include lean red meat, oysters, poultry and some cereals. Unfortunately, zinc can lower the amount of copper you have in your system. Copper is essential for the creation of red blood cells, so pair your zinc with beans and legumes, which restore that lost copper.