The best nutrients to support sharp and healthy eyesight

They say beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, but what happens when the beholder’s eyes are too dry, strained, and glassy to truly see? In a world where every emotion, story, and sale is filtered through a screen, our eyes have become the most overworked part of our bodies, yet the least cared for.

We scroll before we stretch, reply before we rest, and measure our days by blue light instead of sunlight. And while the internet has stitched itself into every fibre of our lives, groceries, work, bills, food, books, even love, the same convenience has quietly exhausted our vision.

But this isn’t about blaming technology; it’s about remembering biology. Our eyes were never designed for twenty-hour digital days. Since the age of no internet will possibly never return, we can fix our lifestyle to make it easier for our eyes.

Here are few nutrients that you should make sure to incorporate in your diet to ensure a healthy eyesight

Vitamin A, also known as retinol, plays a critical role in vision because it helps produce the pigments in the retina of the eyes. More importantly for everyday sight, it is vital for the photoreceptors, the rods and cones, which determine vision quality in low-light conditions. The deficiency of it can affect the rods first, causing night blindness, and eventually cones and photopic vision too. Foods rich in vitamin A include liver, egg yolks, full-fat dairy, and some of the animal-product based retinoids; your body can also convert carotenoids from plant sources (like orange-coloured vegetables) into vitamin A, though less efficiently.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a well-known nutrient found in many fruits and vegetables; what’s less widely appreciated is how concentrated it is in the aqueous humour fluid in front of the eye lenses, suggesting a special role in ocular health. . It is thought to act as an antioxidant helping prevent age-related cataracts and other oxidative-stress driven eye changes. One study from the American Academy of Ophthalmology found that women who ate more vitamin C-rich foods had a 33 percent lower risk of cataract progression. You’ll find vitamin C in citrus fruits (oranges, lemons), bell peppers, strawberries, kiwi, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, all easy to include in a daily diet.

Vitamin E differs from vitamins A and C in that it is a group of compounds (tocopherols and tocotrienols), and its main eye-benefit appears to be indirect: protecting the fatty acids in eye cell membranes from oxidation. According to the US Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E “is a fat-soluble antioxidant that stops the production of ROS [reactive oxygen species] formed when fat undergoes oxidation.” Good food sources include almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, wheat-germ oil, and other nuts and seeds.

Carotenoids are pigment compounds that give many fruits and vegetables their rich colours, and two in particular, lutein and zeaxanthin, are noteworthy for vision. These xanthophylls accumulate in the light-sensitive tissue of the retina (especially the macula) and act as natural filters and antioxidants. A review titled Lutein and Zeaxanthin and Their Roles in Age-Related Macular Degeneration finds that supplementation “can have a beneficial effect in delaying the progression of eye diseases such as AMD and cataracts.” To get them in your diet, focus on leafy greens like spinach, kale and Swiss chard; also raspberries and peaches offer support.

Flavonoids are plant compounds found across many fruits, vegetables, tea and dark chocolate. Mona Kaleem, MD, tells John Hopkins Medicines that they have been linked with "improved function in retinal ganglion cells, neurons that link the retina to the sections of the brain that process visual input."

Omega-3s (especially EPA and DHA) are fats critical for the composition of cell membranes in the retina and may help maintain visual function. Study published in Asian Journal of Food Research and Nutrition observed that “omega-3 fatty acids are needed for brain and vision development … protecting the eye from degenerative damage … they seem to prevent and slow macular degeneration, dry eye disease, and lower the risk of early AMD, glaucoma and retinopathy.” Good dietary sources include salmon, mackerel, sardines, flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts. Make yourselves a chia pudding now!

Regular eye check-ups are crucial. Annual eye exam is ideal to catch the symptoms early. An annual eye exam can help identify conditions like glaucoma or cataract before they worsen. This can improve treatment options and outcomes.

The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new medication or treatment, or before changing your diet or supplement regimen.