The Importance of Vitamins to Eye Health

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Old Wives Tale or Myth?
Did Grandma ever say to you ‘eat your carrots they are good for your eyes, or ‘ if you don’t eat your carrots you will go blind’. Fact is she was not far from the truth.

According to research, Xerophthalmia is a common cause of childhood blindness found often in developing countries where fresh vegetables, dairy products, pulses and grains are not utilised in the diet. The need for essential vitamins and nutritional advice is very important not only for eye health, but for our general health, to repair our bodies and protect against wear and tear and infection.

Good eye health can be maintained with a nutritious diet rich with antioxidant vitamins or ‘Carotenoids’. According to clinical trials, antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin found naturally in orange and yellow fruits and green leaf vegetables, can help maintain healthy cells and tissues in eyes. ‘Eye’ronically we find that these essential vitamins are found in foods that our parents and grandparents ‘made’ us eat as youngsters.

Types of Vitamins
Vitamin rich food sources are readily available in our local grocery stores in the form of fresh fruit and vegetables. Focusing on three main vitamins A, C and E essential for good eye health the antioxidant vitamins are found in fresh fruit and vegetables such as grapefruits, oranges, dried apricots, kiwis, tomatoes and corn, not forgetting carrots, peas and green beans, and green leafy vegetables spinach, sprouts, and kale.

Vitamin A is an antioxidant found in animal sources such as liver or butter, or from plants that contain carotenoids – these are red and yellow pigments found in plants and animals. Vitamin A, which maintains healthy cells in some structures of the eye, is required for converting light into nerve signals in the retina.

Lutein rich sources can be found in bilberries, kale, spinach, broccoli, mango and yellow peppers. Vegetables containing lutein are better eaten cooked, than raw as antioxidants in the vegetables are released when the cell walls break down during cooking.

A good source of Zeaxanthin can also be found in tangerines, oranges, sweet peppers, broccoli, corn and spinach, also certain types of lettuce.

Dairy products and egg yolks are another source of essential vitamins along with nuts and seeds.

Vitamin C and Zinc are claimed to be especially good for maintaining eye health in the elderly. Vitamin C being a water-soluble vitamin is best taken in its natural juice state from oranges and other citrus fruits or recommended in a liquid supplement.

Vitamin E can be found in nut oils, sunflower seeds, whole grains, wheat germ, and spinach. Antioxidants such as vitamin E help to protect cells against the effects of free radicals. Vitamin E works well in enhancing and protecting vitamin A. There are promising results from tests to show that vitamin E may prevent or slow the onset of cataracts.