Ways to Keep Your Eyes and Vision Healthy

Ways to Keep Your Eyes and Vision Healthy

How healthy are your eyes?

More importantly, what are you doing to keep them healthy? 


Vision is one of those things that many of us take for granted… until it starts to fade.  


Supporting your eye health should be a priority at any age. After all, 80% of everything we learn is through sight! We use and rely on our eyes every waking minute of the day. This also means we’re also constantly exposing our eyes to UV rays from the sun, the blue light from our screens, environmental toxins, and many other factors that can cause potential damage to our vision. 


Here’s a (very!) quick 101 on how the eye works. Light reflects off objects and enters our eye through the pupil. Millions of nerve cells called rods and cones work together with the many optical components within the eye to turn this reflected light into what you can see. 

As you’d imagine, maintaining healthy vision requires a lot of care and nourishment. And it’s never too early to start. 

There are plenty of ways to support the health of your eyes. Here are our top tips!


How to support healthy eyes and vision


Fill up on the right foods

Your eyes need an enormous range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to function properly. That’s why a healthy diet plays a big role in healthy vision. Add these foods to your daily menu to help keep your peepers happy: 


  • Carrots
    You were probably once told that eating carrots would help you to see in the dark. Well, it’s partly true! Carrots are a good source of Vitamin A, which plays an essential role in supporting the health of the retina: the part of your eye that turns light rays into the images. Vitamin A also helps to maintain the moisture content of the eye.[1]  

Beef liver, oranges, kumara, pumpkin, and squash are also excellent sources of vitamin A.

  • Tomatoes
    These shiny red fruits are a rich source of lycopene, a nutritional antioxidant that can help support the eyes from the dangers of oxidative stress. The redder the tomato, the more lycopene it contains! Other great lycopene foods include pink grapefruit, blood oranges, watermelon, and apricots.
  • Leafy greens

Lutein and zeaxanthin are powerful plant pigments in leafy greens such as kale and spinach. Together, they help to ward off oxidative stress and UV rays which can harm the cells within your eyes and increase the risk of eye problems later in life.[2]

  • Pumpkin seeds
    Zinc is a key nutrient for supporting many bodily systems - especially the eyes! This essential mineral is often recommended by opticians to support normal eye function and longevity. Seafood, tofu, and eggs are also rich in zinc. 

Get active - regularly 

Did you know that physical activity can help keep your eyes healthy? Research shows that exercise boosts circulation, improving the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the eye cells. One study found that people who were regularly active were 25% less likely to develop eye problems than people who weren’t active.[3] So - get moving! Choose an activity that you enjoy and that gets your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes a day. Walking, cycling, swimming, Zumba - anything goes! 


Slap on those sunglasses 

This is surely the easiest eye health tip of all! 

Here in New Zealand, sunglasses aren’t just a fashion accessory - they’re a necessity! The levels of ultraviolet light in NZ are among the highest in the world, which is a serious problem for eyes. Studies show that possible effects from UV exposure include corneal damage, cataracts,  and macular degeneration, which can reduce vision later in life. 

Protect your eyes with sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB radiation. A sticker on the lens will usually confirm this. 


Supplements for eye health

If you’re following all the above advice and still think you could be doing more for your long-term vision, read on! 

A great way to support your eyes from the inside out is by adding a supplement to your health regime. Supplements won’t replace a healthy diet, but they can help to fill in any nutritional gaps. This is especially important for long-term eye health. But how do you choose the right supplement for you?

 

What to look for when choosing eye supplements

 

There are dozens of supplements for eye health available today, and all contain a variety of ingredients. Your best bet is to look for a product that includes plenty of antioxidants, like the ones we’ve mentioned above. It’s also helpful if they contain a range of scientifically researched “eye vitamins” and minerals that can support the normal function of your eye cells. 

A good example is Clinicians Visioncare with Lutein. This Kiwi-made formula combines potent antioxidants lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin E plus minerals zinc and selenium to support overall macular health. and central vision. Just two capsules can help to support healthy sight and eye ageing. 

 

Another great product is Blackmores Macu-Vision. The ingredients in this formula are based on scientific esearch into eye health and ageing. Macu-Vision contains vitamins C and E plus copper and zinc to support eyes and vision throughout life. These vitamins als act as antioxidants, which means they can help support your body’s own defenses in reducing free radical damage to eye cells. 

 

There are no excuses for not looking after your sight! And you certainly don’t want to leave it too late. So - eat your antioxidants, slide on some sunnies, and grab an eye health supplement if you need to. Bargain Chemist has an eye-popping range of the best supplements available - so check us out!  

 

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6523787/

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3708350/

[3] https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/exercise-may-slow-prevent-eye-disease-study-finds