How to preserve eye health
According to Harvard Health, certain vitamins and minerals found in food may play a role in preventing two common causes of vision problems: cataracts – cloudy areas in the lens of the eye – and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – a condition that causes vision loss in the macula, the part of the eye that controls central vision.
“While there is no definite proof, some studies suggest that eating a diet rich in certain nutrients may help,” said Doctor Ivana Kim, associate professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.
Some evidence shows that dietary antioxidant vitamins and minerals (A, C, and E, and the mineral zinc) may help prevent the progression of macular degeneration.
“The retina, especially the macula, is thought to be an environment of high oxidative stress, meaning that there is an abundance of free radicals—molecules that damage proteins and DNA within cells. Antioxidants fight free radicals and are thought to help protect the retina from this damage,” explained Doctor Kim.