The Best Vitamins for Healthy Eyes

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it one hundred times: declining vision is an inevitable part of aging. Right? We all have a relative who has dozens of pairs of plastic readers littered all over the house, and we’ve all been at a restaurant with someone who used the flashlight on their cellphone to read the menu. Don’t doom yourself to a life of reliance on readers and squinting just yet. There are plenty of things you can do to preserve (and even improve!) your eyesight. The best place to start? Your diet!

What you put into your body is, quite possibly, the most important part of your health. If you eat food low in nutrients, you’re not going to be healthy. It’s truly as simple as that. On the flip side, if you nourish your body with vitamins and nutrients on a daily basis, things are going to run a lot more smoothly, including your vision. For more information about maintaining your vision through diet and when to look into receiving LASIK in Orange County, contact the experts at Advanced Eye Medical.

There are 6 vitamins that you can easily incorporate into your regular diet that have potential to greatly improve your vision. Whether you want to incorporate foods into your diet that incorporate these vitamins or you’re more of a supplement-taker is totally up to you, but if your eyes are fading, check these out:

1. Lutein

Lutein, nicknamed “The Eye Vitamin,” helps fight free radicals that have been caused, over time, by a number of external factors, and helps protect the eye’s tissues. It helps fight the effects of aging on both your eyes AND your skin (bonus!) and is an anti-inflammatory carotenoid that is found in leafy green veggies, citrus fruits, and orange vegetables (like carrots and sweet potatoes).

What are some good sources of Vitamin C? Spinach, kale, carrots, broccoli, eggs, peppers and tomatoes.

2. Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps protect your vision by striking down free radicals, helps your body absorb more nutrients, repairs damaged tissues, reduced inflammation and inflammatory responses, prevents cellular mutations; the list could go on. There’s a reason so many doctors swear by a daily dose of Vitamin C! Studies have shown Vitamin C takers to have a much lower probability of cataracts.

What are some good sources of Vitamin C? Peppers, citrus fruits, broccoli, strawberries, cabbage, brussels sprouts, tomato juice and cantaloupe.

3. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a strong inflammation fighter and helps protect eye tissue and keep cells healthy. Taking it in conjunction with Vitamin C is going to give you more bang for your buck, as the two are able to work together to keep that eye tissue as healthy as possible. Vitamin E is a great antioxidant that helps fight age-related eye health issues.

What are some good sources of Vitamin C? Almonds, seeds, tomatoes, avocados, broccoli, spinach, dried apricots and asparagus.

4. Zinc

Zinc, one of the most important nutrients to aid in the body’s absorption of other nutrients, is known to protect the retinas and both fight and prevent inflammation. Zinc plays a key role in proper cell development, circulation, and hormone maintenance, which is why it is important to tissue health in your eyes.

What are some good sources of Vitamin C? Fish, grass-fed meat, oysters and nuts!

5. Zeaxanthin

Another carotenoid similar to Lutein, Zeaxanthin also helps to protect and maintain the tissues of the eye, like the lenses and macula, which in turn helps clear up your vision and prevent issues with glare, sensitivity to light and cataracts. Both Zeaxanthin and Lutein are key for optimal eye health because they are delivered in high quantities to the eyes, having the largest impact on future eye health.


6. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a beta carotene that the Journal of the American Medical Association of Ophthalmology says we need an adequate amount of in order to prevent night blindness and xerophthalmia. A known antioxidant, Vitamin A prevents vision loss from chronic and degenerative conditions and has been shown to slow the progression of certain types of nerve damage in the eyes.

What are some good sources of Vitamin C? Liver, carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, butter, eggs, and squash.

Eye Doctor and LASIK in Orange County

Your eye health is important. Taking care of your eyes starts with what you put into your body. If supplements and a healthy diet aren’t enough, that’s where we come in. The specialists at Advanced Eye Medical Group have the experience and knowhow to help you in your quest for better vision, and after 40 years of serving Orange County, we’re ready to help you, too.

Call us for a free consultation for more information on eye health and LASIK in Orange County.