Seeing Clearly: The Best Nutrients for Eye Health

When it comes to nutrition, everything is connected. What’s good for your eyes is also good for your brain, heart, and overall well-being. You can tell a lot about what’s going on with someone’s health just by looking at their eyes — a window to wellness, if you will. For example, any changes in cardiovascular health, for better or for worse, can influence your eyes’ tiny blood vessels.

Your eyes even have their own microbiome (nope, it’s not just for your gut). You’ll find protective bacteria gathered in your corneas and mucus membranes to help keep harmful germs out. One of the best ways to support the health and integrity of your eye microbiome is to eat nutrient-dense foods.

What nutrients are most important for eye health? Here’s what you need to know about the most important nutrients and foods for your eyes, plus foods to avoid to keep your eyes healthy.

Important Nutrients for Eye Health

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential for eye health because it maintains the cornea, the outer covering of your eye. It supports good vision, especially during low-light conditions (this is why you may have heard that eating carrots helps you “see in the dark”). Vitamin A is essential for the production of rhodopsin, a pigment in your retina that helps with night vision.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your eyes from harmful free radicals that can promote oxidative stress, damage, and disease. It keeps the blood vessels in your eyes healthy and helps delay cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD refers to degenerative changes within the macula (the central area of the retina responsible for high-resolution vision) and generally occurs in people 55 or older.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is also an antioxidant that helps protect the cells in your eyes from oxidative damage. Like vitamin C, vitamin E helps reduce the risk of cataracts and AMD, which can lead to vision loss over time.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin (Carotenoids)

Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids, naturally occurring pigments in plants that give them their color. They also have antioxidant activity that helps protect the health of your eyes. Lutein and zeaxanthin specifically are good for your eyes because they filter harmful blue light, protecting your retina and improving visual performance.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3s (DHA, EPA, and ALA) help maintain the structural integrity of cell membranes in your retina. Getting enough omega-3s also helps make sure your tear (crying) function works properly and keeps inflammation at bay, which also helps reduce the risk of dry eye syndrome and AMD.

Zinc

Zinc helps move vitamin A from your liver to your retina and makes melanin, a protective pigment in your eyes (and skin). This mineral also supports immune function, and inflammatory response, and may slow the progression of AMD and vision loss.

Taurine

Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid. Unlike most amino acids, taurine isn’t used to build proteins but is crucial for many other cellular processes, like maintaining the health of your eyes. It protects the cells in your retina from oxidative damage, helps maintain structure and function, and prevents retinal degeneration, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.

Selenium

Selenium is a mineral and antioxidant that supports the function of other antioxidants, such as vitamin E, enhancing overall eye protection. Research suggests that a higher intake of selenium can also help prevent cataract formation.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that supports eye health by regulating the pressure inside your eyes and maintaining the function of muscles that control eye movements. Getting enough magnesium is also important for preventing conditions like glaucoma and age-related vision changes by supporting optic nerve health.

Nutrition for Age-Related Eye Disease

When you hear about nutrition for eye health you might be reminded of the Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2) conducted from 1992 to 2001 and 2006 to 2012, respectively. These studies were large-scale clinical trials sponsored by the National Eye Institute. They were aimed at investigating the effects of nutritional supplements on AMD and other eye diseases.

Here’s what they found:

• AREDS: A combination of antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene) and zinc reduced the risk of AMD progression by 25% over five years.
• AREDS2: Replacing beta-carotene with lutein and zeaxanthin (because beta-carotene has been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in former smokers) also showed protective effects against AMD progression, particularly in people at high risk.

What does this mean for you? I’m a whole foods first practitioner, so while it’s helpful to know the eye health benefits of these nutrients, we can prioritize getting them from foods first as much as possible.

9 Best Foods for Eye Health

Now that we’ve covered the best nutrients for your eyes, you’re probably wondering how to incorporate them into your diet. It’s easy to add a supplement to your routine, but prioritizing your nutrition from whole food sources also ensures that you’re getting plenty of other vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants to support your overall well-being.

Here are 9 of the best foods to improve eyesight, each provides some of the nutrients listed above.

1. Cold Water Fish

Cold-water fish are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, which are important for reducing inflammation, reducing your risk of AMD, and supporting overall eye health.

Examples include:

• Salmon
• Trout
• Sardines

2. Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are packed with antioxidants like vitamins C and E as well as lutein and zeaxanthin, which accumulate in your retina and help protect against macular degeneration. They also provide beta-carotene and zinc.

Add these leafy greens to salads, soups, and smoothies, or saute them on the stove with a little olive oil:

• Spinach
• Swiss chard
• Kale
• Mustard greens
• Arugula
• Collard greens

3. Orange Vegetables

Orange veggies are high in beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A that you need for night vision. They also contain antioxidants like vitamin C and support overall eye health and vision.

Rotate these orange vegetables into your diet:

• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Orange bell peppers
• Butternut squash

4. Avocados

Avocados are excellent sources of lutein and zeaxanthin as well as vitamin E, making them a great food for your eyes.

Try using avocados in these ways:

• On sandwiches in place of mayo
• Smashed onto whole grain toast for breakfast
• Chopped and added to tacos, burritos, and soups
• Used for homemade guacamole

5. Almonds

Almonds are known for being rich in the antioxidant vitamin E as well as essential fatty acids that help support your eye health and function.

Enjoy almonds in these ways:

• Blended into almond butter to use on sandwiches or served with sliced apples
• Mixed into granola or trail mix
• Crushed and added to oatmeal or yogurt
• A handful as an afternoon snack on their own

6. Beans

Beans are a good source of zinc and bioflavonoids, which help protect the retina and maintain healthy blood vessels in your eyes. They also provide a steady supply of protein, essential for repairing and maintaining eye tissues.

Try adding more beans to your diet in these ways:

• Drained, rinsed, dried, seasoned chickpeas roasted in the oven until crispy
• Black or pinto beans with rice for tacos and burritos
• Cannelini or navy beans tossed into soups and salads

7. Strawberries

Of all the fruits, strawberries are among the best sources of vitamin C for blood vessel health and overall antioxidant protection. They also contain flavonoids like anthocyanins, which help lower the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Strawberries are juicy and delicious on their own, but can also be added to:

• Oatmeal
• Granola and yogurt parfaits
• Smoothies
• Mixed green salads

8. Citrus Fruits

In addition to being vitamin C powerhouses, citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits contain flavonoids called hesperidin and naringenin, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Citrus fruits can be used for:

• A naturally sweet and refreshing snack
• Added to salads
• Making homemade fruit-based salsas
• Infusing your water with lemon or lime
• Making a dessert like baked grapefruit

9. Eggs

Eggs are a great eye food because they’re packed with lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin A, and vitamin E, which help protect your eye health and support night vision.

Eggs are also incredibly versatile, so you can use them in ways like:

• Making a breakfast scramble
• Egg white toast
• Hardboiled eggs for lunch
• Veggie-packed omelets

What Are the Worst Foods for Eye Health?

On the other hand, certain foods can work against your optimal eye health if consumed regularly, especially when they take up space in your diet for healthier options.

Generally speaking, this includes ultra-processed foods high in added sugar, sodium, and saturated or trans fats. Eating these foods frequently can promote oxidative stress, inflammation, and damage to your retina and optic blood vessels.

Excessive intake of sugary beverages (like soda, fruit juice, and sports drinks) and snacks (like potato chips and donuts) may also increase the risk of developing conditions like diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. Plus, when you don’t have the space in your diet for healthier foods containing vitamins A, C, E, and omega-3 fatty acids, this can further contribute to poor vision and increased susceptibility to eye diseases.

Other Ways to Care for Your Eyes

In addition to optimizing your nutrition, the National Eye Institute recommends other ways to regularly care for your eyes, including:

• Getting comprehensive dilated eye exams
• Assessing your risk for eye disease based on things like family history, ethnicity, and weight
• Taking care of your overall health (think diet, exercise, stress management, and sleep)
• Protecting your eyes from things like blue light, UV light, pollutants, and germs (by wearing sunglasses and washing your hands before touching your eyes)

If your eyes (or anything else) are giving you signs of underlying health concerns, I can help. Ready to look more closely at what’s going on with your body through the lens of nutrition and lifestyle? Schedule a complementary 15-minute discovery call to see if we’re a good fit.