Puffed eyes, dark circles and fine lines around the eyes are a common concern. A healthy, well balanced diet is the key to keeping your eyes healthy and sparkling. The nutrients in a healthy diet can nourish your body and maintain tissue health. Likewise, including certain vitamins in your diet can promote eye health and beauty and keep your eyes functioning well.
Four special nutrients, Vitamin C, E, A, and Zinc, can help reduce your risk of a common eye problem prevalence by up to 35%. Make sure you get the right amount of antioxidants through a healthy balanced and varied diet. The best vitamins and minerals to keep your eyes healthy are:
- Vitamin A: This vitamin is critical for good vision. It is composed of antioxidants that positively affect vision, the bones, and the immune system. It is commonly found in orange-colored fruits and vegetables. The pigments in beta-carotene, a type of vitamin A, help in protecting your eyes, guard against age-related eye issues, and supports the functioning of the cornea. Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, mangos, cantaloupe, peppers and apricots. Other great sources of the vitamin A are egg, legumes, dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, turnip greens and collard greens), beef, liver, milk and cheese.
- Vitamin C: One of the most powerful antioxidants, Vitamin C plays a role in slowing the progression of age-related eye concerns. Studies have shown that high dietary intakes of vitamin C are associated with lower risks of developing some eye diseases. Good food sources include orange, berries, cabbage, coriander leaves, capsicum, green chilies, guava, and amla.
- Vitamin B2: Also known as riboflavin, vitamin B2 is essential for the oxidation and reduction chemical reactions in the body. Rich sources of this vitamin include beef, salmon, eggs and lamb in non-vegetarian food and milk, mushrooms, spinach, almonds, and sundried tomatoes in vegetarian.
- Vitamin B3 or Niacin: Niacin acts as an antioxidant to prevent cataracts. Due to its efficiency in dilating blood vessel, ophthalmologists consider it useful for increasing the flow of blood to the optic nerve. Peanuts, green peas, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, tuna, chicken breast and turkey breast are good sources.
- Vitamin E: This vitamin is found in the lens of our eye and the retina. It is important for good eye health. Good sources of this vitamin include pistachios, walnuts, vegetable oils, wheat germ, almonds, sunflower seeds, and hazel nuts.
- Omega-3: Studies have shown that people with diets high in omega-3 have fewer age-related macular issues and dry-eye syndrome. The foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, tuna, halibut, herring or other oily fish.
- Zinc: Include high zinc food sources such as turkey, chicken, yogurt and fortified cereals in your diet. For vegetarians, leafy greens such as spinach and pulses like kidney beans and are the richest sources of zinc. This mineral helps bring vitamin A to the eyes from the liver and also helps with night vision as well as the prevention of cataracts.
In addition to a vitamin-rich diet, these tips can help you take care of your eyes:
- Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night.
- Doing eye exercises can help improve blood circulation.
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.
- Do not rub your eyes.
- Use sunglasses and protect your eyes when you are in the sun.
- To reduce dark circles, apply slices of cucumber and potatoes around your eyes.
- Cold tea bags can do wonders for puffiness.
