Our Top Foods for Eye Health

Would you say your diet is healthy? Have you considered how your diet could be affecting your vision? To help you enjoy good eye health, let’s take a look at our top 3 foods for eye health as well as 3 foods that don’t do your eye health any favours ahead of National Eye Health Week!  

Eye-Friendly Foods

1) Green Vegetables

Kale, spinach, turnip greens, broccoli and peas are all good sources of carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect your eyes against several eye diseases that cause blindness, including age-related macular degeneration. 

2) Fish

Cold-water fish, such as salmon, halibut, tuna and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are an important component of the retina and are suggested to reduce the symptoms of dry eye.

3) Carrots and Sweet Potatoes

These vegetables are packed full of vitamin A, a key player in the production of rhodopsin, a protein in the retina that enables your eyes to detect light. 

Foods That Are Bad News for Your Eyes

1) Sugary Sauces and Dressings

Too much sugar in your diet can lead to diabetes, which can lead to vision loss due to diabetic retinopathy. Research has also linked a high sugar diet to age-related macular degeneration. While many will cut out chocolates and biscuits to reduce their sugar intake, sugar can be found in many other foods, with sauces and salad dressings being particularly notorious for their high sugar levels. 

2) Fried Foods

Fried foods such as crisps and chips are full of fatty oils, which in excess, can result in high cholesterol, a known risk factor for vision loss. Vegetable fats, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats are especially bad for your eye health. 

3) Processed Meats

Bacon, ham and sausages all have high levels of salt. A high salt diet raises your blood pressure and high blood pressure is another known risk factor for eye disease and damage to the retina. 

Now you know what to eat more of and what to eat less of to keep your eyes healthy, make sure you give your eyes professional eyecare too by keeping up with your regular eye tests. At Ferrier & MacKinnon Optometrists, your opticians in Dunfermline, Kinross, Inverkeithing and elsewhere across Fife and Tayside, we’ll keep a close eye on your vision so can enjoy healthy eyesight for longer; book your eye test with us today for your peace of mind!