Did you know that what you eat can help protect your vision? Eating more antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables can help prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
Most of us know the most famous carotene, beta carotene, because we convert it to vitamin A. And you know that vitamin A prevents night blindness. But did you know that beta carotene also help reduce the risk eye infections and eye damage from sunlight and air pollution? The best sources of this nutrient are deep orange foods, carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash, and also dark green foods including spinach and collard greens.
There are two other nutrients in the same carotene family, lutein and zeaxanthin, which scientists have proven protect your eyes, especially against age-related macular degeneration. Lucky for us, those dark green leafy veggies like spinach, collard greens, and turnip greens are great sources. You can also find these nutrients in broccoli, peas, kiwi, red grapes, yellow squash, oranges, corn, mangoes and honeydew melon.
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Two more nutrients are also worthy of note. Vitamin C can help lower your risk of cataracts. Most of us think of oranges when we look for a food with lots of vitamin C, but you can also eat other citrus such a grapefruits and tangerines. Other foods including red or green peppers, broccoli, strawberries and cantaloupe also are great sources of Vitamin C.
And you may want to have a cup of green tea with your meal as it also contains eye protecting antioxidants to help lower risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. Black tea works, but it has less of the antioxidants than does green tea.
