'I’m a nutritionist — here are my top three ingredients to protect my eye health'
A nutritionist recommends eye-friendly ingredients you should be adding to your shopping trolley in order to stave off problems, ranging from cataracts to age-related macular degeneration.
Eye health: Nutritionist reveals foods that protect your eyes
You might have heard about the popular comedy-drama TV series Orange Is the New Black, but a nutritionist has now shared that “orange is the new green” when it comes to eye-healthy diet.
Foods with orange, pink and red hues are headlining the list of what you need to eat to protect your eyes.
In a partnership with Specsavers, nutritionist Dale Pinnock said: “Good nutrition helps keep our whole body functioning at its best. Eye health and vision is such an important part of our health, which people often deprioritise.”
To give your vision a boost and protect it from unwanted problems, the expert recommended adding these “top” three ingredients to your weekly menu.
1.Salmon
Characterised by its buttery, rich taste, salmon offers more than a kick of protein.
The fish is packed with omega-3 fatty acids and astaxanthin which may help lower your risk of eye conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, dry eye syndrome, and cataracts, according to the nutritionist.
Dale said: “Given salmon is bursting with omega 3s and astaxanthin, it’s the perfect eye-friendly protein to craft the dish around.
“If you don’t like salmon, other great sources of astaxanthin are trout or prawns, while omega 3s are also found in mackerel, sardines, walnuts, and chia seeds.”
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2.Orange vegetables
Both orange peppers and sweet potatoes obtain their orange pigment from an antioxidant phytochemical called beta carotene.
However, this plant goodie does more than colour veggies orange.
Your body converts beta carotene to vitamin A which is essential for maintaining a healthy vision.
Plus, it’s been linked to lower risk of AMD, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy, according to the expert.
3.Tomatoes
The juicy foods are packed with another antioxidant-rich pigment called lycopene, which has also been shown to help cut your risk of developing cataracts or AMD.
Specsavers optometrist Paul Carroll added: “We all know the benefits that a balanced diet of nutritious food can have for our general wellbeing, but a lot of us don’t realise the positive effect it can also have on our eye health and long-term vision.
“So incorporating eye-friendly ingredients into your diet can be really beneficial.
“Other important lifestyle factors include exercising, getting enough sleep, and of course going for regular eye tests at least every two years, to help you keep track of changes in your vision and check your general eye health.”
