How Your Nutrition Can Help or Hurt Your Retinas

Submitted by Elman Retina Group on March 5, 2024

Everyone knows eating a healthy diet with whole foods is essential for good health, but eating balanced meals can also have a profound impact on the eyes. A varied diet is crucial for long-term ocular health and good vision. Our eye doctors at Elman Retina Group specialize in retinal diseases and explain how nutrition affects the retinas.

How Your Diet Affects Eye Diseases

An estimated 250 million men and women worldwide have some degree of vision loss caused by cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or other conditions. These eye diseases typically affect older adults, but another risk factor is oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidant defenses in the body. The eye is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress because it consumes high amounts of oxygen and is exposed to visible UV light and concentrated polyunsaturated fatty acids. These factors can trigger oxidative damage to the eye’s tissues and may contribute to eye diseases.

Researchers have investigated the role of dietary antioxidants and their benefits for disease prevention and control. Adding specific vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your diet can improve your eye health and vision. Research has established that these nutrients are “eye-friendly,” including:

• Lutein and zeaxanthin may reduce the risk of cataracts and chronic eye diseases and are found in colorful fruits and vegetables, such as broccoli, peas, tangerines, corn, and dark, leafy greens.
• Vitamin C may lower cataract risk, and when combined with other essential nutrients, vitamin C can slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration and loss of central vision. Add oranges, strawberries, green peppers, papaya, tomatoes, and grapefruit to your diet.
• Vitamin E protects the eyes by stopping free radicals from breaking down healthy ocular tissues. To increase vitamin E in your diet, incorporate more vegetable oils, wheat germ, nuts, and sweet potatoes.
• Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for healthy retinas and visual development. Research shows these healthy fats can provide optimal visual development for premature and full-term infants. Omega-3s improve the tear film by enhancing the oily layer secreted by the meibomian glands and can reduce eye inflammation. Eat more tuna, salmon, and other cold-water fish to add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet.
• Zinc plays an essential role in vitamin A delivery to the retina, where it helps produce melanin to protect the eyes. Zinc deficiencies are linked to cataracts and poor night vision, but incorporating red meat, nuts, seeds, oysters, and shellfish can improve eye health.

Choosing colorful foods for your meals and snacks is a great way to make sure you’re enriching your overall and ocular health with healthy, whole foods packed with nutrients.

If you have an eye disease or are experiencing vision changes, contact Elman Retina Group in Glen Burnie and Pikesville, Maryland. Schedule a consultation with one of our retina specialists by calling (410) 686-3000.