By – Dr Digvijay Singh, Director, Noble Eye Care, Gurugram
Our eyes are a very precious sense organ. It is a complex structure made up of different subcomponents such as the cornea, lens and retina. It is one of the most demanding organs when it comes to need of nutrition and needs all forms of nutrients, particularly vitamins and micronutrients. As an organ, it is constantly exposed to radiation, both visible light and ultraviolet as well as infrared radiation both of which have the potential to cause damage and age-related changes.
Diet plays an important role in eye health
Diet plays an important role in eye health. The most important requirements of the eye include essential fatty acids, vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E along with micronutrients such as zinc, lutein and zeaxanthine.
Essential fatty acids are found in fish and are important for proper retinal development in babies and tear film maintenance in adults. Flax seeds and nuts can be an important vegetarian source.
Vitamin A is found in large quantities in orange-coloured fruits and vegetables including carrots, beetroot, sweet potatoes and apricots. Vitamin A plays an important role in retina function and its deficiency can lead to night blindness.
Vitamin C is an important antioxidant and is found in citrus fruits, such as oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and lemons. It is also found in Amla (Indian Gooseberry), peaches, red bell peppers, tomatoes and strawberries. Vitamin C plays an important role in anti-aging and is helpful in preventing age-related changes such as macular degeneration and cataracts.
Vitamin E is found in avocados, almonds and sunflower seeds and plays a role in maintaining eye health.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants found in the pigments of leafy green vegetables and other brightly coloured foods. They are key to protecting the macula, the area of the eye that gives us our best vision resolution. The vegetables which have the highest amount of these antioxidants are kale, spinach, lettuce, turnips and broccoli. Eggs also have some amounts of these antioxidants.
Zinc is used by the retina to protect itself from the damaging effects of blue light and is found in foods such as beans, legumes, lean red meat, poultry and fortified cereals.
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While all the above micronutrients are important for general eye health, certain eye diseases may need more of these. For the prevention of cataracts and to delay their progression, vitamin C and vitamin E play an important role. For dry eyes, essential fatty acids (omega fatty acids) are important along with high quantities of fleshy pulpy fruits and flax seeds. It is best to avoid saturated fats and red meats as they can worsen dry eye problems. For the health of the optic nerve, zinc, vitamin C and vitamin E are important. Antioxidants such as lutein and zeazanthine play a key role in mitigating retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
A growing child should include all these nutrients as a part of their balanced diet for developing healthy eyesight.