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What Vitamins Make You See Better?

Before you consider surgery to fix your vision, you might want to try to improve your vision naturally. Simply altering your diet or adding supplements can work wonders for improving your eyesight and deterring macular degeneration.

  1. Vitamin A

    • The important component in Vitamin A is retinol. It is a fat-soluble vitamin required for the body's production of rhodopsin, a visual pigment of the retina. Without Vitamin A, our eyes' ability to absorb light would decrease. The best natural sources of Vitamin A are carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash, spinach and red bell peppers. It is recommended that you consume between 2,500 mg and 3,000 mg of Vitamin A per day.

    Vitamin B

    • B vitamins are important in promoting cardiovascular health. They help increase red blood cell counts, improve arterial health and reduce levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that can increase the risk of heart disease and also lead to eye vessel inflammation. Vitamin B6 can be found in many cereals, including raisin bran cereals and varieties of corn flakes. It is also found in tuna, potatoes, and chickpeas. Vitamin B9--also called folate or folic acid--can be found naturally in spinach, lentils, papayas, artichokes and asparagus. Vitamin B12 occurs in the highest volumes in clams, liver and raw oysters.

    Vitamin C

    • According to a 2002 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, long-term consumption of Vitamin C can decrease the risk of cataracts. The vitamin can be found in citrus fruits, peppers, broccoli and strawberries. It is suggested that you ingest 1,200 mg of Vitamin C a day.

    Vitamin E

    • Studies have shown that getting enough Vitamin E in your daily diet will help deter macular degeneration and cataracts. Government guidelines recommend that you consume 22.5 international units (IU) of the vitamin, but there is no known ceiling to how much you can consume. RealAge.com suggests that you incorporate 400 IU into your daily diet for optimal health and disease prevention. Natural sources of Vitamin E are cereals such as raisin bran, corn flakes, almonds and seeds.

    Zinc

    • Although it's not a vitamin, zinc is important for vision health. Known for boosting immunity, zinc also prevents macular degeneration. Naturally, the mineral can be found in oysters, lamb, beef, turkey, and ricotta cheese. Government guidelines suggest that men consume 11 mg and women consume 8 mg of zinc per day.

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