When it comes to your health, your diet has a major impact and eating certain foods can have a really positive effect on specific areas of your health, as well as your general wellbeing. There has been a lot of emphasis on healthy eating and super-foods in media publications in recent years and it can be confusing to keep up with what’s good for you and what’s not. Your eyes are so important because they enable you to see and gain an appreciation of the world, people and sights around you. By adding certain foods to your diet can help to keep your eyes healthy and stave off infections to ensure your eyes look bright and beautiful. Here are 5 super-foods to add to your diet for good eye health:
1. Spinach
Spinach contains a host of ingredients, which are good for the eyes, including lutein, vitamin A and zeaxanthin. Lutein helps to protect the eyes from UV damage and contributes to a decreased risk of macular degeneration, vitamin A protects the cornea and zeaxanthin is important for the development of the eye. Other leafy green vegetables, including kale, Swiss chard and turnips, are also highly beneficial for eye health. Spinach can be eaten as it is, added to salads and pasta sauces and served as an accompaniment to meat and fish dishes.
2. Carrots
Most people are familiar with the saying that eating carrots helps you to see in the dark and it is true that carrots are very good for the eyes because they are a great source of beta carotene. Beta carotene is the pigment, which gives carrots their rich orange colour and it is converted into vitamin A by the body. Vitamin A is very important for the cornea and it aids vision. Carrots can be eaten raw or cooked to form part of a roast dinner, a stir fry, casserole or a hot salad. Carrots also contain lutein.
3. Salmon
Salmon is rich in essential oils, which help to keep the eyes moist and prevent dry eyes and it also contains fatty acids, which help to decrease the risk of macular degeneration, which is a condition often associated with ageing. Ideally, you should try to include 2 portions of oily fish in your diet every week.
4. Blueberries
Blueberries have a host of health benefits and they are a great natural source of anti-oxidants; they are also really delicious! Blueberries are good for your eyes because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They also contain anthocyanins, which help to maintain healthy blood pressure, which lowers the risk of blockages in the arteries, which may affect the retina. A handful of blueberries (around 10 berries) counts as one of your recommended 5 a day.
5. Peppers
Peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C, which can help to prevent cataracts. They also contain vitamin A, which has a host of protective benefits for the eyes and they contain beta-carotene, vitamin B6 and lutein. Ideally, you should try to eat an array of different coloured peppers in your diet; you can add them to salads and pasta sauces, eat them raw or put them in fajitas and stir fry recipes.
Hopefully these changes can help to protect your eye health. If you are having problems related to your sight it is important to seek out professional advice.
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