“Food is a huge factor in supporting our overall health,” said eye specialist Tina Patel.
While consuming a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, pulses, and fatty acids will support your health, there are certain nutrients that can help prevent eye diseases.
“Foods rich in beta carotene convert into vitamin A which can help prevent eye diseases like macular degeneration and cataracts,” said Patel.
Examples of foods rich in beta-carotene include orange foods such as carrots and oranges.
Macular degeneration
The NHS says age-related macular degeneration typically begins to affect people in their 50s and beyond.
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Signs you may already have the condition is seeing a “blurred or distorted area in your vision”.
The common condition can affect either eye, or both, which may lead to difficulty in everyday life.
Examples include struggling to see anything in the middle of your vision, which will make it hard to read, watch TV, drive, or recognise faces.
Symptoms of macular degeneration may include:
- Seeing straight lines as wavy or crooked
- Objects looking smaller than normal
- Colours seem less bright than they used to
- Seeing things that are not there (hallucinations).
Do book an eye test if you experience any of the above symptoms of macular degeneration.
Cataracts
The NHS explains: “Cataracts are when the lens, a small transparent disc inside your eye, develops cloudy patches.
“Over time these patches usually become bigger causing blurry, misty vision and eventually blindness.”
Surgery will eventually be needed to remove and replace the affected lens, so book an eye appointment if you feel like your vision is misty.
Patel said: “With food being such a powerful tool in promoting good health, it’s good to try and eat a broad range of different foods.”
This is to make sure you are “covering all the nutrition bases” that you require.
For those who suffer from dry eye, Patel stated: “Foods containing essential fatty acids are also great for helping with symptoms of dry eye.”
Tina Patel is the optician at Feel Good Contacts.
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