7 Key Vitamins and Nutrients that Help your Eyes Stay Healthy – And Where To Get Them

The Most Important Nutrients To Make Support Strong Eyesight

We were happy to find this very concrete and well documented list detailing not only the best nutrients for eye health but also where to get them.   We hope that you enjoy this article.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A deficiency can cause night vision problems and increase your risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. This essential vitamin is important not only for your eyes, but also for the heart, kidneys, lungs, bones and general immunity. The best dietary sources include beef or chicken liver, cod liver oil, milk and eggs. Indirectly, your body can also obtain it from colorful vegetables and fruits (pro-vitamin A carotenoids – see below).  With vitamin A, you need to be careful not to consume it over-keenly, as excessive amounts may be harmful. If you ingest over 2,800 micrograms (9,333 IU) per day, you can develop vitamin A toxicity, which manifests as headaches, dizziness, joint pain and skin changes. The recommended daily intake is 600 micrograms of vitamin A obtained from a varied diet of both plant and animal foods.

Pro-vitamin A carotenoids 

These include alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, which the body transforms into vitamin A during the digestive process.

Good sources of carotenoids are leafy greens and orange, yellow and red fruits and vegetables (kale, spinach, leaf lettuce, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, tomato juice, sweet potatoes, broccoli, squash, watermelon, pink grapefruit, apricots).
Lutein and zeaxanthin

These two are potent antioxidants and can reduce your risk of developing macular degeneration and other common eye problems.

Five good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin are:

Kale
Kiwifruit
Orange bell peppers
Beetroot with the beet greens

These fruits and veges can all be used to make delicious, vision promoting juices. Eggs are also a good dietary source.

According to some studies, you need at least six to ten milligrams of lutein daily.

Lycopene

Lycopene is a pigment that makes tomatoes red. Similar to lutein and zeaxanthin, it reduces the risk of macular degeneration. It has also been connected to cancer prevention.

The redder the tomato, the more lycopene it contains. It’s also found in tomato juice. Other good sources include watermelon, pink grapefruit, apricots and blood oranges. You can also reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease with tomatoes.

Vitamin E

This vitamin helps the body produce red blood cells and acts as an antioxidant.

The recommended daily allowance for vitamin E is 15 milligrams (22.5 IU). It is best supplied in the form of nuts and some oil-rich foods (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, avocado, olive oil). It’s also found in whole grains and spinach.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is mainly known for its immunity boosting effect. It’s also a stress fighter, which means that if your stress levels are high, you should consume more of it.

Best foods for vitamin C include guava, sweet red pepper (bell pepper), kiwifruit, oranges, grapefruit, tomato, strawberries and green pepper.

The recommended daily allowance is 75 milligrams for adult women and 90 milligrams for men.
Bioflavonoids

Also known as flavonoids. These are usually found in fresh fruit in veges that is also rich in vitamin C. They are powerful antioxidants and are praised for their ability to fight cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. They also protect the eyes and reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

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