Bite for Site

Bite for Sight: Food Prescriptions to Save Your Vision

Recent research suggests that adding certain antioxidant vitamins and minerals to your daily diet – either through foods or supplements – can help maintain eye health.  The following nutrients have been shown to be essential for good vision and may protect your eyes from potentially sight-threatening conditions and diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

Beta-carotene

• Benefits: May prevent night blindness and dry eyes.
• Food sources: Butternut squash, carrots, kale, spinach, sweet potatoes.

Bioflavonoids (Flavonoids)

• Benefits: May prevent cataracts and macular degeneration.
• Food sources: Blueberries, cherries, citrus fruits, legumes, red wine, soy products, tea.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin (Carotenoids)

• Benefits: May prevent cataracts and macular degeneration.
• Food sources: Green leafy vegetables (broccoli, collard green, kale, spinach, turnip greens), eggs, squash.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Benefits: May prevent macular degeneration and dry eyes.
• Food sources: Fish oil, flaxseed oil, cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel, herring).

Selenium

• Benefits: When combined with carotenoids and vitamins C and E, may reduce risk of advanced macular degeneration.
• Food sources: Brazil nuts, brown rice, canned tuna, oats, salmon, loin chops, wheat germ.

Vitamin A

• Benefits: May prevent night blindness and dry eyes.
• Food sources: Beef or chicken liver, chili peppers, carrots, milk, sweet potatoes, apricots.

Vitamin C

• Benefits: May prevent cataracts and macular degeneration.
• Food sources: Broccoli, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, kale, red peppers,strawberries.

Vitamin D

• Benefits: May prevent macular degeneration.
• Food sources: Cod liver oil, orange juice/ milk fortified with vitamin D, salmon, sardines.

Vitamin E

• Benefits: When combined with carotenoids and vitamin C, may reduce the risk of advanced macular degeneration.
• Food sources: Nuts and seeds (almonds, sunflower seeds), fortified cereals, sweet potatoes, wheat germ, whole-wheat flour.

Zinc

• Benefits: Helps vitamin A reduce the risk of night blindness; may reduce the risk of advanced macular degeneration.
• Food sources: Oyster, pumpkin seeds, gingerroot, pecans, oats, peanuts, lima beans.