Certain nutrients help maintain eye function, protect your eyes against harmful light, and reduce the development of age-related degenerative diseases.
Your eyesight is probably the most important of your five senses. Eye health goes hand-in-hand with general health, but a few nutrients are especially important for your eyes.
Your risk of developing an eye disease increases as you get older. The most common eye diseases include:
- Cataracts: A condition in which your eyes become clouded. Age-related cataracts are a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness around the world (1).
- Diabetic retinopathy: Retinopathy is associated with diabetes and is a major cause of visual impairment and blindness. It develops when high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels in your retina (2).
- Dry eye disease: A condition marked by insufficient tear fluid, which causes your eyes to dry up and leads to discomfort and potential visual problems (3).
- Glaucoma: A group of diseases characterized by progressive degeneration of your optic nerve, which transfers visual information from eyes to brain. Glaucoma may cause poor eyesight or blindness (4).
- Macular degeneration: The macula is the central part of your retina. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the main causes of blindness in developed countries (5).
Although your risk of getting these conditions depends to some extent on your genes, your diet may also play a major role.
Here are eight nutrients that benefit your eyes. Check with your doctor before starting any new supplements.
Share on PinterestOksanaKiiam | iStockPhoto1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A deficiency is one of the most common causes of vision loss in the world (6).
This vitamin is essential for maintaining your eyes’ light-sensing cells, also known as photoreceptors.
If you don’t consume enough vitamin A, you may experience night blindness, dry eyes, or even more serious conditions, depending on the severity of your deficiency (7).
The active form of vitamin A, known as retinol, is only found in animal-derived foods. The richest dietary sources include liver, egg yolks, and dairy products (8).
However, your body can also convert certain antioxidant plant compounds into retinol. These are called provitamin A carotenoids, and they are found in high amounts in many fruits and vegetables.
Provitamin A carotenoids provide around 30% of people’s vitamin A requirements, on average. The most efficient of them is beta-carotene, which is found in high amounts in kale, spinach, and carrots (9).
2. and 3. Lutein and zeaxanthin
Lutein and zeaxanthin are yellow carotenoid antioxidants known as macular pigments.
They are concentrated in the macula, the central part of your retina, which is a layer of light-sensitive cells on the back wall of your eyeball.
Lutein and zeaxanthin function as a natural sunblock. They’re thought to play a central role in protecting your eyes against harmful blue light (10).
Controlled studies show that intake of lutein and zeaxanthin is proportional to their levels in your retina (11).
The AREDS and AREDS2 clinical trials showed that lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the risk of AMD progressing to more advanced forms (12, 13).
Lutein and zeaxanthin usually occur together in foods. Spinach, lettuce, kale, parsley, pistachios, and green peas are among the best sources (14).
What’s more, egg yolks, sweet corn, and pumpkin may also be high in lutein and zeaxanthin (14).
In fact, egg yolks are considered one of the best sources due to their high fat content. Carotenoids are better absorbed when eaten with fat, so it’s best to add some avocado or healthy oils to your leafy vegetable salad (14).
4. Omega-3 fatty acids
The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are important for eye health.
DHA is found in high amounts in your retina, where it may help maintain eye function. It’s also important for brain and eye development during infancy. Thus, DHA deficiency can impair vision (15).
Evidence also shows that taking omega-3 supplements may benefit those with dry eye disease (16).
A 2023 systematic review found that taking EPA and DHA supplements significantly reduced dry eye symptoms by increasing the formation of tear fluid (16).
Omega-3 fatty acids may also help prevent other eye diseases. A 2016 study in middle-aged and older adults with diabetes found that taking at least 500 milligrams (mg) of long-chain omega-3s daily may reduce the risk of diabetic retinopathy, but more recent studies have yielded mixed results (17, 18).
In contrast, omega-3 fatty acids are not an effective treatment for AMD (12).
The best dietary source of EPA and DHA is oily fish. Additionally, omega-3 supplements derived from fish or microalgae are widely available.
5. Evening primrose oil
Evening primrose oil is rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid found in small amounts in the modern diet.
Unlike many other omega-6 fatty acids, GLA appears to have anti-inflammatory properties (19, 20).
Some evidence suggests that taking evening primrose oil may reduce the symptoms of dry eye disease.
One randomized controlled study gave women with dry eyes a daily dose of evening primrose oil with 300 mg of GLA. The study noted that their symptoms improved over a 6-month period (21).
6. Vitamin C
Your eyes require high amounts of antioxidants — more so than many other organs.
The antioxidant vitamin C appears to be especially important, although controlled studies on its role in eye health are lacking.
The concentration of vitamin C is 20 times higher in the aqueous humor of the eye than in blood plasma. The aqueous humor is the liquid that fills the outermost part of your eye (22).
The levels of vitamin C in the aqueous humor are directly proportional to its dietary intake. In other words, you can increase its concentration by taking supplements or eating foods rich in vitamin C (23, 24).
While vitamin C appears to play a protective role in your eyes, clinical trials have not found it to be helpful in slowing the progression of cataracts and suggest that high doses may even accelerate their development (25).
High amounts of vitamin C are found in many fruits and vegetables, including bell peppers, citrus fruits, guavas, kale, and broccoli (26).
7. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a group of fat-soluble antioxidants that protect fatty acids from harmful oxidation.
Since your retina has a high concentration of fatty acids, adequate vitamin E intake is important for optimal eye health (27).
Although severe vitamin E deficiency may lead to retinal degeneration and blindness, it’s unclear whether supplements provide any additional benefits if you’re already getting enough from your diet (28).
One analysis suggests that consuming more than 7 mg of vitamin E (just 47% of the daily value) from food daily may reduce your risk of age-related cataracts by 6% (29, 30).
In contrast, randomized controlled studies indicate that vitamin E supplements do not slow or prevent the progression of cataracts (12).
The best dietary sources of vitamin E include almonds, sunflower seeds, and vegetable oils like flaxseed oil (28).
8. Zinc
Your eyes contain high levels of zinc (31).
Zinc is a part of many essential enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, which functions as an antioxidant.
It also appears to be involved in the formation of visual pigments in your retina. For this reason, zinc deficiency may lead to night blindness (32).
The AREDS/AREDS2 trials concluded that taking AREDS or AREDS 2, which both contain 80 mg of zinc, has been shown to reduce the risk of progression from intermediate to advanced age-related macular degeneration by about 25% (12).
However, further studies are needed before strong conclusions can be reached.
Natural dietary sources of zinc include oysters, meat, pumpkin seeds, and peanuts.
The bottom line
Healthy lifestyle habits, such as following a nutritious diet and getting regular exercise, may help prevent many chronic diseases — including eye conditions.
Getting enough of the nutrients listed above may help reduce your risk. Other vitamins may also play a role in eye health.
However, don’t neglect the rest of your body. A diet that keeps your whole body healthy will likely keep your eyes healthy, too.