Table of contents:
- Lutein and zeaxanthin in green vegetables
- Beta carotene in yellow and orange foods
- Omega 3 fatty acids in fish and nuts
- What about taking omega 3 supplements?
The eye is one of the vital organs in the body that you sometimes forget about its health. How to maintain eye health is not just limited to maintaining a safe viewing distance when you are watching TV or reading books. What you eat also affects the health of your eyes. About what foods can help maintain your sense of sight?
Lutein and zeaxanthin in green vegetables
The antioxidants and phytonutrients found in green vegetables can provide benefits for eye health. Green spinach, kale, collard, dark green leafy lettuce like lettuce romaine, and broccoli is a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin function to protect the eyes from high-energy rays that can harm the eyes, for example, ultraviolet rays from sunlight. According to several studies, lutein and zeaxanthin help improve the quality of vision, especially in low light conditions.
Not only that, if you eat foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, you can avoid eye diseases due to old age. Those who are diligent in eating green vegetables have a 50% lower chance of developing cataracts later in life.
When consuming green vegetables, you will not only get lutein and zeaxanthin but also various types of vitamins, especially vitamin C and vitamin E. Many studies have used a mixture of lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin C, and vitamin E to prevent various eye diseases.
How much lutein and zeaxanthin do you need? Because they are not nutrients but phytonutrients, lutein and zeaxanthin do not have a recommended daily consumption. But to maintain eye health, according to The American Optometric Association, it takes about 10 mg of lutein per day, and 2 mg per day for zeaxanthin. In 1 cup of spinach, there are 20.4 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin. Meanwhile, in 1 cup of broccoli, there are 1.6 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin. The highest levels of lutein and zeaxanthin were found in kale, namely 23.8 mg per cup.
Beta carotene in yellow and orange foods
You must have heard the suggestion of eating carrots to maintain eye health. This is because of the beta carotene content in it. But not only carrots, pumpkin and sweet potatoes that are yellow in color tend to be orange, they also contain lots of beta carotene because besides being beneficial for health, carotene also functions to give food a yellow and orange color.
Both carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes do not necessarily contain vitamin A. What is contained in food is the basic ingredients that form vitamin A. There are two types of basic ingredients of vitamin A found in food. That is preformed vitamin A found in animal foods (such as fish, meat, milk and their processed products) and precursors of vitamin A found in vegetables and fruit in the form of beta carotene. On the body, preformed and this vitamin A precursor will be converted into vitamin A.
The recommended amount of vitamin A for consumption is 500-600 mcg per day for adults. But be careful if what you consume is vitamin A in the form preformed . If consumed in excess, preformed Vitamin A can cause health problems and is especially dangerous for pregnant women. A vitamin A supplement made from preformed vitamin A usually has high doses and if you do not consult your doctor first, it is not impossible that you can experience an overdose of vitamin A. On the other hand, consumption of vitamin A precursors in the form of beta carotene has no toxic effect on the body. But if too much, your skin can turn a little yellow, but after reducing the intake of beta carotene, your skin color will return to normal.
Omega 3 fatty acids in fish and nuts
Recent research has revealed that omega 3 fatty acids can actually improve eye health. Examples of omega 3 fatty acids are DHA, EPA, and ALA. Omega 3 fatty acids consumed by women during pregnancy play a role in helping the development of visual function in the fetus. A Canadian study published by the America Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that babies whose mothers took omega 3 supplements while pregnant had better vision function when compared to babies whose mothers did not take supplements.
For adults, omega 3 fatty acids can help protect the eyes from various diseases such as decreased eye muscle function and dry eye syndrome. Other essential fatty acids also work to reduce the risk of glaucoma and high pressure on the eyeball. In a 2008 European study, participants who ate fish high in omega 3 (such as salmon, tuna, mackerel) at least once a week had a 50% lower risk of developing neovascular , a disease in which blood vessels grow on the retina and cause damage to light-sensitive retinal cells. This causes it to arise the blind spot .
Fish, nuts, and olive oil are types of foods that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Choose deep sea fish like tuna and salmon because these types of fish are rich in omega 3.Nuts like cashews and almonds have fatty acids in them. its womb. But the type of nuts that contain the most omega 3 is the kind of walnuts. Oil of plant origin also contains omega 3, olive oil is a source of omega 3 that is easily available and you can use it everyday for cooking.
What about taking omega 3 supplements?
You can get your omega 3 intake from supplements if it is difficult for you to find foods rich in omega 3. But dietary sources of omega 3 may be better for you. Two large studies conducted related to eye health (Age-Related Eye Disease Study / AREDS and AREDS2) revealed that the risk of suffering from eye disease due to old age in those who received omega 3 intake from supplements was not the same as those who got omega 3 intake from food daily. Omega 3 obtained from food is more effective in reducing the risk of eye disease due to old age. Someone who runs a healthy diet rich in omega 3 has a smaller risk when compared to those who take supplements for 5 years.
