Maintaining good eye health isn’t just about having an annual examination and looking after your contact lenses or spectacles. You can take a much more active role in protecting your eyes.
Nutrients such as Vitamin C, omega-3 oils and key plant molecules are so important that you really can eat your way to better vision, says leading eye researcher Professor Ian Grierson, Head of Ophthalmology at the University of Liverpool.
‘Eye problems such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, are all affected by what we eat,’ says Prof Grierson. ‘Adding a little more fruit and vegetables to your meals could dramatically reduce eye disease in future.’
So, what key foods should you focus on to keep your eyesight sharp and healthy?
Leafy greens
Spinach, chard, kale, broccoli and sprouts are rich sources of two important pigments – lutein and zeaxanthin – that are used by the retina at the back of the eye for clear vision.
April 8, 2009
