10 keys to taking care of the eyes through diet

Nutrients and antioxidants essential to see well are concentrated in the eyes. How to boost your reserves with diet to preserve vision?

The eyes are the most expressive part of the face and one of the body's most sensitive organs to external factors. With them, the nervous system emerges to the outside. Not only the passage of the years can damage them; also habits. The important thing is to act on time.

On the one hand, you can protect your sight externally with eye exercises, daily rest, and good hygiene. But these guidelines will be of little use if you do not provide your eyes with the nutrients they need through your diet.

Eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts are not only due to age but also to an insufficient supply of nutrients and oxygen to the capillary system of the eyes. Good nutrition is therefore essential to keep your eyes in good condition over the years.

 

WHAT NUTRIENTS DO THE EYES NEED?

• The most popular food for its positive effect on eye health is carrots. This is so thanks to its richness in beta-carotene, which the body transforms into vitamin A, essential to protect day and night vision. Sweet potato, pumpkin, and other orange vegetables also provide beta-carotene.
• Another food well known for its positive effect is blueberries. Its anthocyanins, by promoting microcirculation, increase capillary resistance and decrease permeability. Therefore, consuming foods rich in anthocyanins such as blueberries or blackberries improves night vision, protects the retina, and provides clearer and sharper vision.
• In addition, the eyes need lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidant pigments found in high concentrations in the retina.
• The DHA or docosahexaenoic acid, a fatty acid omega-3 family, it is essential to prevent processes of degenerative eye and for the maturation of the central nervous system.
• The zinc present in cereals, legumes, pumpkin seeds, and meat, is the most abundant mineral eye. It reinforces the action of vitamin A and favors the nutrition of the optic nerve.
• The corneal and sclera tissue of the eye is composed of collagen and mucopolysaccharides, responsible for offering consistency and resistance to the eyeball. The oats, tapioca, and Kuzu (starch) are good sources of mucopolysaccharides.

HOW DOES DIET AFFECT THE EYES?

According to a study conducted by the National Eye Institute of the United States, consuming foods rich in antioxidants, essential fatty acids and minerals can benefit vision. In contrast, diets rich in sugars and refined flours, trans fats, and monosodium glutamate negatively affect it.

 

WHY IS IT ESSENTIAL TO TAKE VITAMIN A?

After the liver, the retina is the tissue that stores the most vitamin A, also known as retinol. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to problems such as dry eye syndrome, night blindness, conjunctival xerosis, Bitot's spots, and corneal xerosis with severe irreversible ulceration.

WHAT IS MACULAR DEGENERATION AND WHAT FOODS HELP PREVENT IT?

The macula, located in the center of the retina, is the part of the eye that allows capturing details and direct central vision. It is needed, for example, to read, drive or identify people. Its age-related degeneration is a degenerative eye disease and the leading cause of blindness in old age.

Carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin, are the most important nutrients in the macula and retina and provide valuable protection to the eyes. They are found in vegetables and fruits, especially: red pepper, cabbage, corn, zucchini, pumpkin, spinach, carrots, mango, orange, black grape, papaya, melon, and kiwi.

WHAT ARE LUTEIN AND ZEAXANTHIN?

They are carotenoid pigments and are found mainly in yellow or orange vegetables and fruits. Its antioxidant action not only protects against macular degeneration and cataracts but also helps filter harmful ultraviolet rays.

WHAT PROBLEMS DOES A LACK OF VITAMIN B2 GIVE?

This vitamin, present in the retina, allows the eyes to adjust to changes in light. Their deficit makes them photosensitive and can cause photophobia, keratopathies, and optic neuropathy. It is found in whole grains and some vegetables.

 

WHAT OTHER VITAMINS PROTECT EYESIGHT?

High doses of vitamins C and E reduce the risk of cataracts.

• The vitamin C abundant in the retina and is necessary for collagen sclera and la Corne a. It can be obtained from citrus fruits, peppers, and other vegetables.
• Vitamin E protects the ocular blood vessels. It is found in vegetable oils, nuts, and whole grains.

DO OMEGA-3 ACIDS AFFECT EYESIGHT?

According to a recent study, diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of age-related eye disorders. The incidence of glaucoma is low among Eskimos, probably due to the abundant consumption of oily fish, rich in omega-3s.

WHAT FOODS HARM THE EYES?

Refined sugar lacks essential nutrients and forces the body to draw on its own reserves of vitamins and minerals. In addition, it alters blood sugar levels, which weakens the visual system, as in diabetes.

Other enemies of the eyes are refined cereals and flours and trans fats.

IS THERE A USEFUL MEDICINAL PLANT TO SEE BETTER?

The best known is the ginkgo, that the stimulating blood flow and microcirculation adequate to brain function and sight. In the latter, it produces notable improvements, especially in conditions related to vascular problems.

 

6 essential nutrients for healthy eyes

The eyes can also be cared for through a diet rich in vitamins and certain plant compounds, capable of reducing the risk of diseases such as cataracts or tiller degeneration.

The eyes need a set of vitamins and other nutrients so that they generate a good vision and are protected against the development of diseases. In addition, some antioxidant compounds found in vegetables especially benefit them. These nutrients can prevent diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts.

1. VITAMIN A

Vitamin A plays a crucial role in vision by contributing to the good condition of the cornea, the outer layer of the eye. It is also a component of rhodopsin, a substance that favors mink in low light (in fact, vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness).

Vitamin A in the form of retinol is found in foods of animal origin such as eggs or dairy products, but it can also be obtained through the transformation in the body of beta-carotene from yellow, orange, and green vegetables such as sweet potato, carrots, apricots or spinach.

2. VITAMIN E

Many eye conditions develop from oxidative stress, which occurs when antioxidants fail to counteract the action of free radicals.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your cells, including those in your eyes, from free radical damage. Some studies suggest that diets rich in vitamin E can help prevent age-related cataracts.

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Foods especially rich in vitamin E are walnuts, sunflower seeds, and avocado.

3. VITAMIN C

Like vitamin E, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects the eyes against harmful free radicals. It also prevents cataracts and protects the cornea and sclera by promoting collagen formation.

Citrus and tropical fruits, red bell peppers, broccoli, and kale contain particularly high amounts of vitamin C.

4. VITAMINS OF GROUP B

Vitamins B6, B9, and B12

Researchers have also studied various B vitamins for their impact on eye health, particularly vitamins B6, B9, and B12.

This combination of vitamins can lower the levels of homocysteine, a protein that is associated with inflammation and an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.

A clinical study in women showed a 34% reduction in the risk of developing macular degeneration when taking 1 mg of vitamin B12 along with vitamins B6 and B9.

Most of the B vitamins are found mainly in legumes, whole grains, fruits, and seeds. Vitamin B12 is found in its active form only in animal products, so vegetarians need to get it through supplementation.

Riboflavin

Another B vitamin studied in relation to eye health is riboflavin or vitamin B2. Specifically, the ability of this nutrient to prevent cataracts has been studied.

One study found a 31% to 51% decrease in the risk of developing cataracts when the diet provides 1.6-2.2 mg of riboflavin per day. In general, it is easy to reach this amount by including oat milk, milk, mushrooms, spinach, almonds in the daily diet.

Niacin

Niacin or vitamin B3's main function is to help convert food into energy, but some studies add that it may play a role in preventing glaucoma, a condition in which the optic nerve is damaged.

It is advisable to get this nutrient only through food in the recommended daily doses since supplementation with higher doses can cause negative side effects in the eyes care themselves.

Foods rich in vitamin B3 are mushrooms, peanuts and legumes.

Thiamine

Thiamine or vitamin B1 plays an important role in the conversion of nutrients provided by food into energy and in other aspects of cell function.

A study conducted in Australia indicates that a diet rich in thiamine reduces the risk of developing cataracts by 40%.

Although meat and fish are the foods richest in thiamine, it is also found in abundance in whole grains, brewer's yeast, sunflower seeds, nuts, and legumes.

5. LUTEIN AND ZEAXANTHIN

Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoid pigments that only plants produce and that when ingested go to the macula (a small area of ​​the retina important for color vision) and the retina of the eyes, where they develop an action protective.<