How important is your vision? For many, the answer is simple: I couldn’t live without it. However, it can be a little scary to undergo surgical options for improving vision like LASIK, and many don’t want to add another prescription to their routine. Luckily, there’s a more natural solution, and it’s all about nutrition.

Nutrition for Eye Health

March is National Nutrition Month, and like the rest of the body, your eyes are deeply affected by what you eat. Eating leafy greens, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats help provide the nutrients your eyes need to function at their best. Here are some nutrients to start incorporating into your daily diet and the sources to get them from.

Zeaxanthin + Lutein

Two dietary antioxidants in particular can be considered the most critical nutrients to protecting and enhancing vision. Zeaxanthin (zee-uh-zan-thin) can be found in foods like orange bell peppers, paprika peppers, and corn, while lutein (loo-teen) is more commonly found in foods like spinach, kale, and broccoli.

Dietary zeaxanthin and lutein work together deep in the eye to form a protective filter known as macular pigment, which blocks harmful light from reaching the sensitive visual cells. Along with protection, the macular pigment also works like an internal pair of polarized sunglasses, enhancing vision to make details clearer and reduce visual noise like glare.

Omega-3s

Found in fish oil, Omega-3s fatty acids are also crucial to supporting healthy eyes. Omega-3s include Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are important for eye and overall health. High-quality Omega-3s have been shown to have protective qualities, support the circulation of the macular antioxidants (see section above), and soothe the eye from the inside out. Its soothing properties help to create a balanced surface of the eye, helping to keep the eyes lubricated and comfortable.

Vitamin D

An all-around important vitamin, Vitamin D is also great for supporting healthy vision. Vitamin D also helps support the surface of the eye through its cell immunity and structural support. Additionally, being deficient in Vitamin D has been linked to an increased risk of age-related eye health issues, supporting its use as a protective element for the back of the eye, as well. Common sources of Vitamin D include egg yolks, sardines, and mushrooms.

Get It All In a One-Time Daily Dose

To get the amounts of these nutrients you need to support and enhance healthy vision, you’ll need to incorporate at least 20 ears of corn a day, 2 servings of fish per week, and at least a cup of chopped mushrooms a day into your diet. Or you can take 1 daily dose of EyePromise®.

EyePromise eye health vitamins deliver the quantity of nutrients you need with quality ingredients you deserve. While most of the portfolio includes these critical nutrients, each product is expertly designed to support eye health based on your needs. To find out which EyePromise eye vitamin is right for you, take our simple quiz!

It’s important to eat for eye health, but it’s not always the easiest thing to do. Hit the “easy” button for your vision nutrition and start taking EyePromise today!