How to Eat to Improve Eyesight

Research shows that the foods we put into our bodies have both positive and negative effects on our overall health. Our bodies rely on vitamins and nourishing supplements found in the foods we consume. The eyes are no different than the other organs of your body. Choose foods that have a positive impact on the overall health of your eyes and reduce your risk for eye degeneration.

Things You'll Need

• Avocados
• Eggs
• Salmon
• Garlic
• Onions
• Green, leafy vegetables
• Yellow and orange vegetables
• Dark chocolate
• Red wine
• Bilberries

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Instructions

• 1

  Add avocados to your diet. Avocados are great on sandwiches, in salads or alone. This fruit contains a high amount of lutein, a carotene that helps fight eye diseases. Avocados also contain vitamin E and are able to increase the amount of carotenoids extracted from other foods.

• 2

  Eat at least one egg per day, as the yolks are especially helpful for raising blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin by 25 to 30 percent. These nutrients are particularly beneficial in reducing the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Try to stick to eggs from pasture-raised chickens, which produce the most beneficial eggs because their diets are rich in nutrients.

• 3

  Incorporate salmon into your diet. Salmon is rich in DHA, which provides structural support to cell membranes and is recommended for dry eyes, treatment for macular degeneration and sight maintenance.

• 4

  Incorporate garlic, onions, shallots and can capers, which contain sulfur that the body uses to produce glutathione, an antioxidant that benefits the lens of the eye. Garlic and onions also help maintain circulatory health, which benefits the eyes.

• 5

  Eat green, leafy vegetables daily. Spinach, collard greens, cabbage, broccoli and kale are rich in carotenoids (particularly lutein and zeaxanthin), which prevent degeneration in the eyes. The benefits of these vegetables stretch beyond the eyes as they contain other helpful vitamins and minerals that can improve health, including folic acid, vitamin A, B12, vitamin C and calcium.

• 6

  Add yellow and orange vegetables to your diet. Carrots, squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and other yellow or orange vegetables contain beta carotene, which is converted by the body into vitamin A. This important vitamin is an antioxidant that helps prevent stress damage to cells and tissues, including those found in the eyes.

• 7

  Add red wine and small amounts of dark chocolate to your diet. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which protect the blood vessels in your eyes. One glass of red wine each day has been shown to have numerous health benefits, improving your vision, heart rate and blood flow.

• 8

  Try bilberries if you are looking to add something different to your diet. Bilberries contain anthocyanosides, which improve blood supply to the eyes.