Eagleview Eye Clinic

Tag healthy lifestyle

DIETARY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE EYES

Dietary requirements for the eyes — what you eat directly affects your retina, lens, tear film, and optic nerve. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Omega-3 fatty acids: DHA & EPA

  • Why: DHA makes up 50-60% of fatty acids in your retina. Keeps photoreceptor cells flexible. EPA reduces eye surface inflammation
  • Sources: Salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, fish oil supplements
  • Target: 2-3 servings fatty fish per week or 1000-2000 mg combined EPA+DHA daily
  • Benefits: Helps dry eye, meibomian gland function, may lower AMD risk

2. Lutein & Zeaxanthin

  • Why: These carotenoids form the macular pigment. Acts like “internal sunglasses” that filter harmful blue light
  • Sources: Kale, spinach, collard greens, egg yolks, corn, orange bell peppers
  • Target: 6-10 mg lutein + 2 mg zeaxanthin daily. AREDS2 used 10 mg + 2 mg
  • Benefits: Reduces risk of macular degeneration and cataracts

3. Vitamin A + Beta-carotene

  • Why: Vitamin A makes rhodopsin, the pigment your rods need for night vision. Deficiency = night blindness
  • Sources: Liver, dairy, eggs for preformed A. Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin for beta-carotene
  • Target: 700-900 mcg RAE daily. Don’t overdo supplements because high dose vitamin A can be toxic
  • Benefits: Cornea health, night vision, prevents xerophthalmia

4. Vitamin C

  • Why: Antioxidant in the aqueous humor of your eye. Helps regenerate vitamin E and supports blood vessels
  • Sources: Oranges, guava, bell peppers, strawberries, broccoli
  • Target: 75-90 mg daily. AREDS used 500 mg for AMD patients
  • Benefits: Slows cataract progression, supports collagen in cornea/sclera

5. Vitamin E

  • Why: Protects eye cell membranes from oxidative damage
  • Sources: Almonds, sunflower seeds, avocado, wheat germ oil
  • Target: 15 mg daily. AREDS used 400 IU
  • Benefits: Works with vitamin C and zinc to slow AMD

6. Zinc

  • Why: Concentrated in retina and choroid. Helps vitamin A move from liver to retina to make melanin, a protective pigment
  • Sources: Oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds, cashews, beans
  • Target: 8-11 mg daily. AREDS2 used 80 mg zinc oxide, but high doses need copper added
  • Benefits: Critical for night vision and AMD risk reduction

7. Water & general hydration

  • Why: Your tear film is 98% water. Dehydration = worse dry eye
  • Target: About 2-3 L fluid daily depending on climate and activity
  • Benefits: Better tear volume, less gritty eyes

8. Other helpful nutrients

  • Vitamin D: May reduce inflammation in dry eye and AMD. Source: Sun, fatty fish, fortified milk
  • B vitamins: B2, B6, B12, folate help lower homocysteine, linked to retinal vein issues
  • Selenium & Copper: Cofactors for antioxidant enzymes in the eye

Sample eye-friendly day

  • Breakfast: Eggs with spinach + orange
  • Lunch: Grilled sardines, kale salad, almonds
  • Snack: Carrot sticks + guava
  • Dinner: Sweet potato, baked salmon, broccoli

Key rule: Eat colorful. Dark green, orange, yellow, and red foods usually pack the carotenoids your eyes need.

DIETING AND THE EYES

Dieting is the practice of regulating food intake with the goal of weight loss, improving physical  condition or managing specific health conditions.

What you eat, how you eat? And when you eat have a major role in your eye health and your health in general.

There are specific vitamins and minerals our eyes require for optimum function, and there are regular food that contains such healthy nutrients.

Today we will be talking extensively on some common food sources and how they impact our eyes. We will place less emphasis on the specific vitamins and minerals inorder for this topic to sink in easily.

What are the common food sources that are required for healthy visual function?

1. EGGS: eggs are very rich in lots of minerals and vitamins. Consistent intake of eggs helps prevent conditions like age related macular degeneration, choroidal degeneration

2. ORANGES AND GRAPES: These  sources of food are highly rich in antioxidants. Consuming these regularly helps in preventing cell death and reducing Glaucoma.

3. BEANS AND GBEGIRI: These food sources have high zinc content, hence they help in mental alertness, brain function and they also boost cornea health.

4. CARROT: carrots are very rich in vitamin A which is good for night vision, and also help reducing damages from the condition called retinitis pigmentosa.

5. FISH AND SEAFOOD: fishes and seafood are very rich in zinc and for this they help in brain function and ensuring a healthy cornea for the consumer. Fishes and seafood are also rich in vitamin A, leutin and zeanthin, so consuming fishes and seafood will go a long way for your visual health.

Other food sources that are necessary for healthy eyes are vegetables,  palm oil, broccoli, kale, et.c

LIFESTYLE PRACTICES AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE EYES

Lifestyle practices are daily life actions that we engage in daily.

Some lifestyle practices are good  and are beneficial to the eyes and the reverse of these good practices poses serious threat to the eyes.

The following are some lifestyle practices and how they affect the eyes:

1. WEARING PROTECTIVE GOGGLES WHILE AT WORK: If you work in a production factory or a chemical laboratory/factory, wearing protective goggles will help protect your eyes from workspace accidents like flying objects getting into the eyes, chemicals and fumes entering the eyes and causing issues for your eyes.

If you are an outdoor worker, that spends Time outside under the sun, a pair of photo AR will go a long way in preventing issues like cataract, pterygium and Age related macular degeneration

If you spend time working on your computer, getting a pair of bluecut glasses will go a long way in protecting your eyes from blue light from your devices.

2. EXERCISING: By Exercising regularly, your body will be able to fight against diseases like diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

Once you are able to fight against these conditions your chances of coming down diseases like diabetic retinopathy and hypertensive retinopathy.

These conditions have been known to cause blindness.

3. SMOKING: smoking regularly can actually put you at a risk of cataracts and macula degeneration. Instead of smoking yourself to blindness and then start looking for help all around, why don’t you just  avoid smoking altogether? Think about it.

4. SELF – MEDICATION: By using medications (eyedrops and tablets) without doctor’s recommendation, you will actually be putting your eyes and life at risk. The damages self – medication can cause are enormous and most times irreversible.

5. NOT CHECKING YOUR EYES REGULARLY:  Not checking your eyes regularly or avoiding visiting the hospital altogether when you are have eye issues is a lifestyle practice that have caused so many their eyes eventually.

By not checking your eyes regularly, you tend to Miss certain conditions that could have been treated in their early stage until it’s impossible to treat.

This is not an exhaustive list though