Eye See You - 8 Foods for Best Eye Health

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It doesn’t matter if you already wear spectacles or if vision impairment runs in your family. Good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle can help prevent, delay and reverse eye disorders and diseases.

Hakeem Note: You should always have a comprehensive eye exam done once a year (multiple times if you’re experiencing problems) so that medical issues can be diagnosed and treated in the early stages.

Suggested by the finest dietitians, here is a list of daily edibles that improve eye health:

1.      Carrots

Carrots are your eye’s best friend. Gulp them up raw, sauté them or have a fresh carrot juice. Carrots are high in antioxidants which help you see clearly in the dark, and can help prevent AMD (age-related muscular degeneration) which causes blurry vision with growing age. AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in the US.

Eye ball animation holding a carrot.
The carrot cares!

Hakeem Fact: Optometrists and ophthalmologists are both eye doctors. However, an optometrist is a professional who you go to for a regular eye checkup and diagnosis. An ophthalmologist, on the other hand, is an experienced specialist who can perform surgical operations and treat other eye disorders.

2.      Almonds

Nuts are such a healthy and portable snack and you can munch on them anytime! They are a good source of vitamin E which helps make the tissues in the eye strong. A person who has almonds regularly can reduce his chances of developing a cataract.

Sack of almonds.
These little nuts go a long way!

3.      Lemons, limes, and oranges

These citrus fruits are not only a delight to have but they are also rich in vitamin C which helps boost eye functionality and can be beneficial in curing eye infections. Vitamin C literally helps you ‘c’ better!

An orange, lime, lemon and grapefruit.
Oranges on Tuesdays, grapefruits on Wednesdays, limes on Thursdays and lemons on Fridays!

4.      Fish

Omega-3 fatty acids that improve eyesight are found in fish and seafood such as salmon. People who have fish and salmon once a week are at a lower risk of experiencing retinal problems.

Cooked salmon with parsley and spinach.
Such an aesthetic dish to look at! 

5.      Green veggies

Leafy vegetables such as kale, peas, spinach, and broccoli can easily be included in our daily diet. They contain minerals and vitamins which help the eye battle harmful rays, help reverse cataract and in the long run, can improve your vision.

A bulk of green, leafy vegetables.
The greens are soothing for the eye!

Read: Are You Damaging Your Eyesight? How to Take Care of Your Eyes.

6.      Sweet potatoes

Who doesn’t love a good plate of seasoned sweet potatoes? This toothsome food can help avoid night time blindness and can avert the effect of dry eyes.

Baked and seasoned sweet potatoes.
Sweet and savory - let's gobble them up!

7.      Beans

Beans are a remarkable source of zinc which is an essential nutrient needed by our body to help make our immune system strong. Kidney beans help guard the retina against eye allergies.

A bowl of cooked red kidney beans.
Fun fact: Kidney beans also moderate blood sugar levels!

8.      Eggs

Fry them, boil them, grill them, bake them – just have them! Eggs help keep your eyes healthy because the runny yolk contains zinc, vitamin C, and other valuable nutrients that lets individuals enter their forties without developing age-related eye problems.

Boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, eggs benedict and omelette.
So many delicious ways to have an egg! Truly egglicious!

Remember, whilst the above list can drastically improve your eye health, if you feel your vision getting cloudy, dark spots blocking your view, loss of vision or any irritation in the eyes, contact a optometrist immediately.

Ayesha

Hello, I'm Ayesha and I would love to hear your feedback. P.S If you want to be featured on the Hakeem website, send me an email at [email protected]!

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Eye See You - 8 Foods for Best Eye Health
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