I’m a nutritionist – these are the five foods you didn’t know could boost your eyesight

We have all heard the saying that eating carrots will help you see in the dark. 

But they are not the only food that can boost eyesight.

‘Just as we may eat to nourish our minds, we need to help nourish our vision too,’ says Dr Emma Derbyshire, a Surrey-based public health nutritionist.

Globally, at least 2.2billion people have a impaired vision and at least 1billion cases could have been prevented or addressed, says the World Health Organization.

She stresses that eating the right fruits and vegetables is key to getting the vitamins and minerals needed to support eye health. 

Here, Dr Derbyshire reveals the foods you should be eating to nourish your eyes.

Spinach, cavolo nero and kale

Munching leafy greens such as kale, spinach and cavolo nero is essential for eye health, says Dr Derbyshire, who is also an adviser to eye supplement company  MacuShield.

This is because the vegetables contain carotenoids called lutein and zeaxanthin.

The body deposits these carotenoids at the macula — the most sensitive part of the retina — which provides the sharp central vision that is vital for reading and driving.

But the body cannot make macular carotenoids on its own, so needs to consume them through diet or supplements. 

As well as leafy vegetables, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, courgettes and orange peppers provide lutein and zeaxanthin, says Dr Derbyshire.  

Citrus fruits, broccoli and brussels sprouts

Eating oranges and broccoli could be key for maintaining eye health with age, says Dr Derbyshire.

For they contain vitamin C, which is needed for the body to produce and maintain collagen — a protein that gives the eyes their structure.

‘Collagen is really important for the eyes as it basically holds the eyes together and helps protect them,’ she said.

‘As collagen levels fall as we get older, it’s important to maintain healthy vitamin C levels.’ 

She noted that the vitamin also protects the macula, part of the retina located at the back of the eye, from oxidative damage — harm to the body’s cells and tissues. The macula is responsible for our colour vision and seeing fine detail.

Bell peppers, citrus fruits and green vegetables, such as broccoli and brussels sprouts, all contain vitamin C, Dr Derbyshire said.

Red meat, dairy and pulses

Zinc, copper and vitamin A are vital for healthy eyes, experts also say.  

Eating seafood, such as shellfish, as well as liver and wholegrains provide copper, while red meat, dairy and pulses contain zinc. Vitamin A is found in full fat milk, eggs and carrots, which famously are supposed to help people see in dim light.

Dr Derbyshire said: ‘Zinc is responsible for transporting vitamin A from the liver to the eye to produce melanin, a protective pigment in the eyes.

‘And both copper and zinc are involved in retinal function.’

Melanin not only provides pigmentation to your skin and hair, it gives the colour to your eyes.

It’s this substance that absorbs harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun, protecting your cells from sun damage. 

Red meat and seafood also keep the retina healthy which helps to translate what you see from light to an image. 

Plant-based oils, nuts and seeds

Adding nuts, seeds and oils to your diet can give your eyes a needed vitamin E boost to keep diseases at bay. 

‘Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that helps protect the eye’s cells from oxidation and damage,’ says Dr Derbyshire.

Oxidative stress, which is an imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals in your body, can accelerate retinal diseases, such as glaucoma — diseases that cause vision loss — and retinal vein occlusion, which causes blurry vision. 

But eating enough vitamin E, which is an antioxidant, can help maintain a healthy retina, Dr Derbyshire says.

It is found in sunflower oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, spinach, pumpkin and red bell pepper. 

Mushrooms, yoghurt and cereal  

Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is vital for keeping the eyes, as well as nervous system and skin, healthy.

Found in milk, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, mushrooms and plain yoghurt, just like vitamin E it too can protect the eyes against cells from damage.  

‘Vitamin B2 is essential for a huge number of biochemical processes, including oxidation-reduction reactions, so helps to protect cells from damage,’ says Dr Derbyshire. 

But Dr Derbyshire warns that with only a third of adults eat their five fruit and vegetables per day, meaning many people are deficient in key nutritional areas that can help with our eyes, including vitamin B2.