Most of the time, not only in terms of eye concerns, people only seek medical help and make lifestyle changes when they already feel something is off or when they are already diagnosed with a health condition. Did you know that your diet, among others, affects your overall eye health? In this article, we break down the kind of diet that affects the eyes in a positive manner — so you can practice preventive care, aside from regularly visiting an eye doctor.
We also outline the eye treatment options offered by VisionFirst Surgery should you need them.
Firstly, How Does Diet Play a Role in Eye Health?
Your diet can either make or break you, which applies to your eyes too. Specifically, the eye’s cells and tissues are affected by the food we eat and do not eat. For one, a lack of specific vitamins and minerals can lead to:
- Cell damage
- Weakness of tissues resulting in structural damage to the eye
- Vulnerability against environmental factors like UV rays
- Impaired night vision
- Increased risk of cataract or diabetic retinopathy
It is one thing to take care of your eyes from the outside in (such as avoiding eye strain or preventing prolonged exposure to UV rays, however it is also important to remember to protect your eye health from the inside and the best and only way to do it is to uphold that kind of diet that would ensure good vision health.
Tips to Embrace a Diet That Affects the Eyes Positively
Your eyes need lots of vitamins and minerals to be in good shape. Here are some of them for you to consider:
- Vitamin A (in carrots and sweet potatoes) helps moisten the eyes.
- Vitamin C (citrus fruits) combats the damage caused by the unhealthy foods you eat, environmental factors, and unhealthy habits like smoking that cause significant eye damage.
- Vitamin E (avocados and almonds) which keeps the cells healthy.
- Omega-3 fatty acids (cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna) help prevent eye diseases later in life.
- Zinc (beans) protects the eyes against damage caused by light.
It might get overwhelming and even taxing for you to get all these together in one meal, so we bring you this guide to make the eye-friendly diet as easy to achieve as possible:
Make Snacks Out of the Recommended Food
Eating eye-healthy food as part of your “big meals” (breakfast, lunch, dinner) is not the only way to fill yourself up with them. You can also find ways to adopt them as snacks! Bring them outside, in the office, or simply chill at home. Without much thinking, you are charging up your body – and your eyes – with their needed nutrients.
Create Your Healthy Drink
Doing this is like killing two birds with one stone: You can easily mix different foods and, therefore, get the nutrients you need in a gulp, and you also upgrade meals with a healthy, delicious drink.
Take Supplements
Certain supplements are beneficial for your eye health. But do not self-medicate! Ask your eye doctor which supplements will best benefit you, considering the current state of your eye health and your family history.
Need Medical Eye Care? Turn to VisionFirst Surgery in Melbourne
What people have to understand about eye care is that it should be holistic. You protect your eyes against environmental factors, you embrace a diet that affects your eyes in a positive manner, and you have an eye doctor check them regularly for the ultimate preventive care.
In Melbourne, VisionFirst Surgery seeks to help as many patients as possible – by caring for their eyes while they are still in an optimal state and giving them expert care when diagnosed with certain eye conditions.
Among the eye services offered at our clinic is eye injection. This is a treatment option for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, pathological myopia, and other retinal disorders. It is not a complex procedure and is often done in just an eye clinic. Visit or contact us today so we can better address your eye concerns.
