Mar 01, 2023
It’s fascinating that what we consume can either make or break our bodies; as you know how the saying goes, “you are what you eat.” If this saying is true, then your eye health is greatly influenced by what you eat each day. Sadly, most people tend to focus on their heart and brain health, consume foods and supplements that promote the health of these organs and ignore other vital organs such as your eyes.
The eye may seem small, but don’t let its size fool you since it is a very complex sensory organ which should remain tip-top your entire life. As you know, if it gets damaged, there is a chance that it might not heal. That’s why you need to visit our eye doctor in Monterey, who can help you care for your eyes.
Since aging is a part of life, you will need to know how to protect those tiny complex cells in the eyes with certain vitamins and nutrients.
How Does Your Diet Affect Your Eye Health?
Your eyes perform a crucial task, which is to process your environment. In fact, 80% of our interaction with our environment is through vision. So, your eyes are exposed to a significant amount of oxidative stress. The imbalance of antioxidants and free radicals is caused by damaging visible light.
Your body will need a steady supply of antioxidants to protect your eyes against this stress. In other words, you will need to add dietary vitamins and other nutrients to help protect your eyes.
Technological advancements in eye care have enabled us to detect the presence or absence of certain vitamins, which let us know whether you are at a lower or higher risk of certain eye diseases.
The only way to prevent some age-related eye conditions and diseases, such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, is by taking certain vitamins and nutrients.
Can Vitamin Deficiency Affect Your Eye Vision?
Some of the eye diseases that some patients have could have been avoided if they knew how their diet affected their vision. Some of the eye conditions that come about due to nutritional deficiencies are:
- Cataracts – this is an eye condition where the lens of the eye becomes cloudy because of the breakdown of protein
- Age – related Macular Degeneration (AMD) – is a condition that occurs when the area of the eye responsible for central vision breaks down, leading to blurred vision
- Keratoconus (corneal abnormalities) – is an eye problem that is caused by vitamin deficiency that can lead to an abnormally shaped cornea, leading to the absorption of harmful light
Vitamin deficiency occurs when a vitamin intake is decreased in your diet. Since our bodies don’t produce most of the vitamins, we will need to get them from what we eat.
If your diet usually lacks a major food group, such as red meat, vegetables, grains, fruits, etc., you may be at risk of developing vitamin deficiency.
So, let’s explore some of the issues that may arise when you lack some of these vitamins:
Vitamin B Deficiencies
Each of the B vitamins causes different symptoms. Vitamin B1 deficiency will cause toxic optic neuropathy and can cause blurred vision.
Vitamin B2, B3 and B6 deficiencies will lead to eye infections and dry eyes.
Vitamin B12 deficiency may cause retinal bleeding and nerve tissue damage and can lead to permanent vision loss.
Vitamin C Deficiency
Lack of vitamin C can lead to blood in the eye, which could lead to vision loss if you don’t seek treatment at our eye clinic.
Vitamin A Deficiency
If there is less vitamin A, you will notice that your eye is extremely dry since it is critical for tear production. Also, deficiency can lead to night blindness.
Which Vitamins Help to Improve Eye Vision?
Some of the critical vitamins that should never miss in your daily meals, which affect vision, are:
- Vitamin A – is a vital vitamin that helps care for the cornea and retina (front and back of the eye). It ensures that the retina works well, and that’s why it helps with night vision
- Vitamin B – B6 and B12 improve eye health and reduce the chances of AMD, which causes blurred vision. These vitamins also help nourish the optic nerve, reducing your chances of having blind spots
- Vitamin C – is a powerful antioxidant and can protect the eye from free radicals, which can disrupt vision
- Vitamin E – is also another powerful antioxidant and can protect you from vision loss in old age
So, have you agreed that your diet matters a lot? You can always reach out to us when you need family eye care in Ryan Ranch. Contact us at Eye MD Monterey to schedule an appointment.
