7 foods for beautiful eyes and 20-20 vision

As a senior optometrist, patients regularly ask me what they can do more in their day-to-day lives to improve their eye health and they are often shocked when I talk to them about how foods can help keep eyes bright and clear.

Your diet directly affects the quality of your tears, which are what makes for sparkly eyes, but not only can foods keep your eyes looking healthy, they also can contribute to your long-term eye health preventing thieves of sight, macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma.

Here’s my list of top foods for sparkly eyes:

Tomatoes
Tomatoes are high in carotenoids and lycopene, two nutrients that will help prevent excessive light exposure and damage to your eye. They are also a wonderful source of vitamin C.

Avocadoes
Avocadoes are filled with vitamins C, B6 and E as well as being rich in lutein, an antioxidant that helps your macula shield intensive and damaging light.

Orange capsicum
Move over carrots, orange capsicums are the new eye health superfood as they are packed with zeaxanthin, a carotenoid that decreases your chance of macular degeneration. They’re also high in vitamin A, which improves night vision.

Fish
Cold water fish like mackerel, salmon and sardines play an important role in sustaining the quality of your tears. They are high in DHA – an omega-3 fatty acid that may prevent plaque from forming on the retina to cause macular degeneration. You could also try a good quality fish oil supplement.

Oysters
Oysters are rich in zinc which can help reduce the risk of macular degeneration.

Spinach, kale and dark leafy greens
Green leafy vegetables are rich in lutein, a carotenoid compound that helps fight cell damage to your macula. They also contain high levels of zeaxanthin, an antioxidant that helps your macula shield intensive and damaging light.

Fruits high in vitamin C & A
Oranges, strawberries and raspberries are a fab way to nurture your eyes and produce healthy, glowing skin – especially in the areas surrounding your cornea and lens. Berries lower blood pressure, a key risk factor for macular degeneration, and decrease inflammation, helping you avoid blockages in the arteries that carry blood to your retina.