Vitamins for Eyesight
Fact: Vitamin A is good for your eyesight. It contains retinoid, a group of compounds that has been proven to have a positive effect on vision, bone growth, and cell division amongst other things. Found in many vegetables and dairy products, Vitamin A is also referred to as anti-infective, because it strengthens the body’s immune system. And if your body is left without Vitamin A you may experience vision problems.
Carrots are perhaps the first primary product that comes to mind when talking about foods that are good for your eyesight. Containing significant amounts of Vitamin A, the foodstuffs below all have a positive effect on your eyesight:
• carrots
• lettuce
• pepper
• sweet potatoes
• pumpkin
• grapefruit
• apricot
• broccoli
• cantaloupes
• winter squashes
• fish
• egg
• liver
• milk
• butter
Why Vitamin A is important for eyesight
Retinol is the form of Vitamin A that plays an important role in your current and future vision. Retinol is a fat-soluble vitamin, closely related to the retinoid family and is furthermore required for the body’s production of rhodopsin, a visual pigment of the retina.
The retina is the light-sensitive part of the eye’s inner layer. Ingesting Vitamin A thus has a rather direct chemical effect on our eyes. Without it, rhodopsin cannot be produced for the retina and our eye’s ability to absorb light will decrease. That is why a lack of Vitamin A often leads to a worsened state of your vision.
Can you lose your eyesight without Vitamin A?
By eating regularly and keeping a healthy diet, you will consume your daily need of Vitamin A. Most of the listed products above are part of our daily food ingestion. However, if you do not eat fruits, vegetables and the occasional fish, lack of vitamins may lead to:
• Nyctalopia – night blindness, due to insufficiencies in the eye’s rhodopsin production for the eye.
• Lowered immune system – without Vitamin A the body’s immune system is weakened increasing the risk of infections and viruses.
In conclusion, Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyesight. But vision deficiency may also be caused by other factors, so getting your eyes checked regularly is strongly advised. An eye examination by a licensed eye doctor will determine the state of your current eyesight and whether or not you will need glasses or contact lenses while consuming your daily dose of Vitamin A.
Hey Israel,
Thanks for the article! I’ve never heard of Nyctalopia…. that’s my learn something new for today word!
Thanks for the article!
All the Best,
Andrew R
I’ve been looking for articles that would persuade my sister on buying me more carrots for the kitchen since she said it’s not that important. Maybe your post would help.
Its nice to see that Carrot is there, that means I can take care of my eyes with eating that. I am vegetarian so egg and fish is not for me.
Do you have any regular exercise as well for eyes.
Great info. I’m glad I like most of the stuff on that list of foods with vitamin A!
Good post, great blog!
Great blog, great information. It also helps in preventing mascular degeneration.
I think I have problem with my eyesight due to long hours of staring at the computer monitor all day. Thanks for the tips!
That is a myth, while staring at a computer screen can cause stress on the eyes it won’t screw your eyes up.
This was really interesting, thanks! My very favorite ways to get in vitamin A are pumpkin (canned… stirred into oatmeal or baked in custard) or butternut squash (steamed in cubes or pureed into soup). Yummy stuff!
This is good information. Although not a vitamin, lutein is also a very good nutrient for eyesight. It’s found in green leafy vegetables like spinach. It’s good nutrient to obtain along with Vitamin A for eyesight. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for the really useful information for computer users like me because we spend a lot time staring at the computer screen. So obiviously we need ta have some good diet that’s beneficial for our eyes.
Personally I am really tired of carrots (the poor mans vegatable) and I do not eat fruit. I should try to start eating all of those other foods. Btu personally I just stick multi-vitimins. I have a giant collection of vitamins that I keep at the office. In the morning I just chow down, and that I have down something healthy.
Of course I also do push ups against the wall in the bathroom, and try to do bicep curls with the water cooler jugs. I guess I just have an odd way of accomplishing proper diet and exercise.
Thanks for the list though, I plan on trying to work those foods into my regular diet, while still keeping my weird health regime.
I agree. Vitamis are very important for eyesight, especially for people working with computer for a long time.
Alas, I eat lots of carrots and still need glasses. I guess I should have started younger. 🙂
It’s nice to see a list of all the other places you can get this important vitamin too.
dang, i didnt know there were that many foods with vit a. i just thought it was all the orange colored veggies.
-jack
Vitamin A is the best ! 😀
This is simply brilliant! I didn’t know that was possible. Stumbled it for you.
-Alexis
Thanks.
Hey yeah.. I take alot of Vitamin A.. Carrot juice is the best so far !
I take vitamins daily to make sure my body receives an adequate amount of daily nutrients to function proper and for long term protection.
As you mention its important to try to take those from natural sources, veggies and fruits, but in my case I have a very busy schedule so in weekdays I had a multivitamins and it helps
Nature is best source of vitamins and minerals. Really you are right that daily eating carrot and other vegetable can impruve your vision.
This was really interesting, thanks! Vitamis are very important