Good Nutrition for the Eyes

When we talk about our health in Dubai, we concern ourselves with good nutrition for the body, but pay minimum attention to the health of the eyes. We must understand, that although, the heart, brain and bones is what does keep up well, our main objective to remain healthy is to enjoy life and not become the responsibility of other people, prematurely. Having healthy vision fits into this objective more prominently than we realize.

The eyes like all the other parts of the body, has its own requirements for good nutrition and exercise.

Here are the most important nutrients and minerals that your eyes require for great vision throughout your life.

Chromium – contributes to controlling intraocular pressure when focusing on near or far objects. The muscles used the most are those in the eye, and chromium helps with muscular contraction in the eye. Good sources of Chromium are greens like spinach, peppers and green apples, meat and eggs, and especially seafood like oysters.

Vitamin C – we cannot stress any further importance on the value of vitamin c on the correlation between the prevention of many visual diseases and illness like Cataract, and reduces intraocular pressure in Glaucoma patients. Even though, we are naturally inclined to think that only citric fruits and juices are good sources of vitamins C, you would be surprised to know that green vegetables like Broccoli, parleys, collards and chili pepper are richer in vitamin C than citric fruits.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin – types of carotenoids help protect the retina of the eye, responsible for distinguishing colours. These two nutrients, act like natural sunglasses that protects the inner eyes from severe UV radiation. Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which helps form a yellow covering over the retina, and are found in similar color, yellow peppers, pumpkin, corn, carrots, and yellow tomatoes. Other rich sources are fruits like papaya, mangos, and oranges.

Zinc – helps convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is an important nutrient that helps to maintain good vision. The highest level of zinc is found in the eyes of the human body and constant replenishment can be achieved by eating foods like oysters or oyster sauce and spinach. Artificial sources like good multivitamins should contain high amounts of zinc sufficient for the eye.

Selenium - an anti-oxidant that helps in the prevention of cataracts and macular degeneration by neutralizing free radicals in the eye. Selenium found in the same foods as chromium and additionally in foods like garlic, fish, and brewer’s yeast.

Glutathione – a type of amino acid linked to the prevention of retinal disease, glaucoma, cataracts, and blindness due to diabetes. Foods rich in glutathione are sulfur-based foods such as asparagus, onions and garlic and fruits like watermelon and grapefruits.

Ginkgo – another powerful anti-oxidant is one of the oldest species of trees in the world that has existed for over 150 million years. It helps in maintaining healthy retinas if taken throughout your lifetime.