Leafy greens There are some nutrients that play a key role in healthy eye-sight that are less known as beta-carotene, such as lutein and zeaxanthin. These together act as a natural sunscreen for your eyes, and are known to lower your risk for AMD age-related macular degeneration that develops as you age.

Like orange fruits and vegetables, eating foods that contain these nutrients consistently are important. Kale, spinach, collard greens, peas, broccoli and avocado are excellent sources.

Whipping up a smoothie with apricots and some of these greens is a delicious way to get your daily dose in. Although not green, eggs are also rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. Not all fish are created equal.

Some are much higher in Omega-3 oil than others. Living in the Pacific NW, we have access to salmon, trout and halibut, but tuna and sardines are also high in Omega 3s. Like leafy greens, these fish can also reduce your risk of AMD and Glaucoma.

Improved function of those glands can ease dry eye symptoms. Citrus Vitamin C is another extremely important antioxidant that keeps your eyes functioning properly. Citrus is beneficial for lowering your risk of cataracts.

Fruits such as oranges, grapefruit and lemons are high in Vitamin C. If you want to pack an extra-punch, you can also find this antioxidant in strawberries, bell peppers and tomatoes. Legumes are rich in bioflavonoid and zinc. AARP Hearing Center. Ways To Improve Your Hearing.

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You are now leaving AARP. org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

Go to Series Main Page. David Sheppard, 58, owner of a website in Baldwin Park, California, spends a lot of time online. But four years ago, he noticed that his eyes were red and irritated, and he had a hard time seeing after just a short time on his computer.

His vision issues turned out to be due to age-related macular degeneration AMD. It happens when aging damages the macula — the part of the retina that controls the direct line of sight — causing blurring and the eventual loss of central vision. AARP Membership. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.

Join Now. Not everyone over 50 needs to take a supplement to preserve their vision. But some nutrients seem to be essential for healthy eyes. The superstars of eye nutrition are disease-fighting antioxidants like vitamins C and E, which reduce damaging oxidation and protect the eyes from conditions like AMD and glaucoma.

Here are the six top vitamins that promote eye health and the best ways to get them. Because many vitamins and supplements can interact with prescription drugs , make sure you check with your doctor before starting any new ones.

Vitamin A is absolutely essential for vision, Johnson says. A deficiency can cause night blindness, particularly among older individuals, and if it progresses, permanent blindness can result. Privacy Policy. Luckily, deficiencies are rare in the United States, likely because many processed foods like breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamins.

Liver and dairy products such as milk are great natural sources of vitamin A. To get beta carotene which gets converted into vitamin A in the body , look for any orange vegetable, such as carrots, winter squash or sweet potatoes.

Your eye is a muscle. Like other muscles in your body, you need to keep your eyes in shape. While the right kind of activity keeps your eyes healthy, you need to consider diet as well.

Eating the right foods builds and sustains all different kinds of muscle , eyes included. The key, as with any food, is vitamins.

Knowing, not only the foods for eye health but also why those foods help your eyes is essential. Really, learning the principles that inform healthy decisions offers a surer path to a healthy life than following any kind of regimented diet. We've gathered some of those principles, as well as a substantial number of examples of food for eye health.

Corneal and scleral collagens--a microscopist's perspective. Vitamin A and Carotenoids. In: Shils M, Shike M, Ross A, Caballero B, Cousins R, eds. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. MJ Haskell. The challenge to reach nutritional adequacy for vitamin A: β-carotene bioavailability and conversion--evidence in humans.

Am J Clin Nutr. P Huang, F Wang, BK Sah, et al. Homocysteine and the risk of age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Sci Rep. WG Christen, RJ Glynn, EY Chew, CM Albert, JE Manson. Folic acid, pyridoxine, and cyanocobalamin combination treatment and age-related macular degeneration in women: the Women's Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study. Arch Intern Med. JA Mares-Perlman, WE Brady, BE Klein, et al.

Diet and nuclear lens opacities. Am J Epidemiol. PA Williams, JM Harder, NE Foxworth, et al. Vitamin B 3 modulates mitochondrial vulnerability and prevents glaucoma in aged mice. AK Grover, SE Samson. Antioxidants and vision health: facts and fiction. Mol Cell Biochem.

B Eisenhauer, S Natoli, G Liew, VM Flood. Lutein and Zeaxanthin-Food Sources, Bioavailability and Dietary Variety in Age Related Macular Degeneration Protection. JE Roberts, J Dennison. The Photobiology of Lutein and Zeaxanthin in the Eye.

J Ophthalmol. B Olmedilla, F Granado, I Blanco, M Vaquero. Lutein, but not alpha-tocopherol, supplementation improves visual function in patients with age-related cataracts: a 2-y double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.

G Querques, R Forte, EH Souied. Retina and omega J Nutr Metab. R Bhargava, P Kumar, M Kumar, N Mehra, A Mishra. A randomized controlled trial of omega-3 fatty acids in dry eye syndrome.

Int J Ophthalmol. Aug 01, Vision Best Lutein Supplement: Enhance Your Vision in and B Performance Lab 11 minute read. Read more. May 18, Vision Black Currant: Benefits for Vision, Uses, and Side Effects Performance Lab 6 minute read.

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Weight Loss After 50 Challenge. Cautionary Tales of Today's Biggest Scams. Quick Digest of Today's Top News. AARP Top Tips for Navigating Life. Get Moving With Our Workout Series. You are now leaving AARP. org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP.

A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Go to Series Main Page. David Sheppard, 58, owner of a website in Baldwin Park, California, spends a lot of time online.

But four years ago, he noticed that his eyes were red and irritated, and he had a hard time seeing after just a short time on his computer.

His vision issues turned out to be due to age-related macular degeneration AMD. It happens when aging damages the macula — the part of the retina that controls the direct line of sight — causing blurring and the eventual loss of central vision.

AARP Membership. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.

Join Now. Not everyone over 50 needs to take a supplement to preserve their vision. But some nutrients seem to be essential for healthy eyes. The superstars of eye nutrition are disease-fighting antioxidants like vitamins C and E, which reduce damaging oxidation and protect the eyes from conditions like AMD and glaucoma.

Here are the six top vitamins that promote eye health and the best ways to get them. Because many vitamins and supplements can interact with prescription drugs , make sure you check with your doctor before starting any new ones.

Vitamin A is absolutely essential for vision, Johnson says. A deficiency can cause night blindness, particularly among older individuals, and if it progresses, permanent blindness can result. Privacy Policy. Luckily, deficiencies are rare in the United States, likely because many processed foods like breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamins.

Liver and dairy products such as milk are great natural sources of vitamin A. To get beta carotene which gets converted into vitamin A in the body , look for any orange vegetable, such as carrots, winter squash or sweet potatoes.

Target Optical. Vitamin E is also essential for eye health. Like other antioxidants, vitamin E helps prevent damage from free radicals and eye disease. So be sure to give plant-based oils, nuts, sunflower seeds and avocado a place on the menu.

And there are other pluses. In a study looking at diet and the risk of cataract progression, researchers found a diet rich in foods with vitamins C could cut risk of cataract progression by a third.

Citrus fruits are the classic choices for vitamin C, Andreoli says. But kiwi, strawberries, broccoli, kale and bell pepper also are abundant sources.

Give the eye-healthy combo a try with a spinach and strawberry salad with an olive oil and vinegar dressing and sunflower seeds. The spinach and strawberries have vitamin C — along with a number of other healthy nutrients — and the olive oil and sunflower seeds contain vitamin E.

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Zinc is a part of many enzymes that are needed for good vision and the integrity of eye tissue, Johnson says.

You can find it in beans, lentils, seeds, meat, seafood, eggs and dairy products. These nutrients, part of the carotenoid family of plant pigments, are found naturally in eye tissue. That makes them particularly important to the prevention of AMD.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are often found together in foods. The healthful fats in fish may be as helpful for your eyes as they are for your heart. That leads to symptoms like burning, stinging and a gritty sensation.

Some studies also show that people who get higher amounts of omega-3s from foods may have a lower risk of developing AMD.

Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines are top sources of these healthy fats. Plant sources include flaxseed, walnuts and chia seeds, and flaxseed, soybean and canola oils. Flaxseed oil did the trick for Santa Barbara, California, resident Barry Maher, 66, who started taking it after developing dry eye in his 40s.

Beth Howard is a North Carolina—based health and lifestyle writer. She has written for dozens of publications, including U. Discover AARP Members Only Access. Already a Member? Supplements that don't lower cholesterol. The 3 Supplements You Might Actually Need After See All. AARP Rewards.

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