best foods for healthy eyes

Yes, vitamin C gets a lot of love as an immune system juggernaut, but did you know its also been shown to help minimize the risk of cataracts and age related macular degeneration? With one cup of orange juice, you can claim up to 124 milligrams of vitamin C. Grapefruit juice packs about 94 milligrams.

What pops into our heads when vitamin C is mentioned, Images of big, juicy oranges, probably, and their citrus brethren. However, plenty of other foods pack loads of vitamin C, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, green and red peppers, leafy greens, and many more. Throw them all in a stir fry and cheers to eye health.

Vitamin E protects the cells in our eyes from free radicals and slows the progression of cataracts and age related macular generation. Eat just one ounce of sunflower seeds or almonds, and you will earn more than a third of the daily value of vitamin E. Wheat germ, hazelnuts, and peanut butter also pack plenty of the vitamin.

Essential fatty acids do your whole body good, including your eyes, by helping with visual development, retinal function, and possibly protecting against dry eye. Fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, and anchovy are typically the best way to load up on essential fatty acids.

Without enough zinc, our eyes can suffer from poor night vision and possibly cataracts. Oysters, liver, red meat, poultry, milk, shellfish, baked beans, and whole grains are valuable sources of zinc.

Your eyes do love a cup of red kidney beans straight out of the can. Why? Because they are a good source of zinc, a mineral that is vital to eye health. It helps get vitamin A from the liver to the retina for eye protective melanin production, and proper amounts of zinc help with night vision and cataract prevention, too. Oysters are another good source, along with beef, seafood, poultry, and pumpkin seeds.

Spinach provides four eye protecting ingredients, It comes packaged with vitamin C, beta carotene and large amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin . a matched pair of antioxidants found in high concentrations in the tissue of the macula. Because they absorb 40 to 90 percent of blue light intensity, these nutrients act like sunscreen for your eyes. Studies have shown that eating foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin can increase the pigment density in the macula and greater pigment density means better retina protection, and a lower risk of macular degeneration.
Spinach is an obvious side vegetable with dinner. It is also a great base for any kind of salad, and it's scrumptious saut?ed an in an omelet.

As the only nut to contain any significant amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, pistachios are the eye friendliest of snack nuts.