Keeping your eyes healthy is as essential as ensuring the other systems in your body are in top condition. Since they are complex sensory organs, they need many different nutrients to function. The esteemed optometrist of Alderwood Optical & Canyon Park Vision Clinic shares some of the top vitamins and minerals that help maintain eye health.
This type of vitamin supports the function of your eyes’ important components, including the cornea, which is the outermost covering of the eye. Vitamin A deficiency may lead to your eyes producing less moisture to keep it lubricated. According to eye doctors, this can also lead to xerophthalmia, a progressive eye disease that starts with the inability of the eye to see in low light conditions and ends in the softening of the cornea that results in irreversible blindness.
Also known as Vitamin B2, it is an antioxidant that can help protect your eyes from damaging free radicals. Eating foods with riboflavin like oats, beef, milk and yogurt have been shown to reduce the risk of developing cataracts.
Like riboflavin, Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protect your eye cells from free radicals. It is one of the several nutrients found in a daily supplement called AREDS, which is known to reduce the progression of age-related macular degeneration or AMD.
An optometrist may recommend taking supplements, especially if your diet is missing nutrients you need every day or was diagnosed with a deficiency that can increase your risk of developing an eye-related condition. For most people, however, diet remains the primary source of obtaining vitamins and minerals not only for eye health but for overall health.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise and eating antioxidant-rich foods can help protect against cellular damage and contribute to ensuring optimal eye health. Leafy green vegetables, fish, and nuts offer many of the nutrients that are good for the eyes.
Alderwood Optical & Canyon Park Vision Clinic offers comprehensive eye care services to ensure healthy eyes, from eye exams to management of ocular diseases. Give us a call at (425) 771-8472 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment with our optometrist. We serve residents of Bothell, Lynnwood and Shoreline, WA.