Did you know nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults have some degree of vision loss?

Luckily, there’s a lot you can do a lot to for good eye health. This includes regular visits to the eye doctor, using lenses that block both UVA and UVB light, reducing screen time, avoiding smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption.

It’s also really important to eat a healthy diet.

In fact, studies have shown that certain nutrients and antioxidants can play an important role to keep our eyes healthy and help prevent common vision problems such as cataracts and AMD (age-related macular degeneration). In particular, lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids should be included in your diet to maintain a healthy vision.

Add these foods to your diet for healthy sight:

Leafy Greens

Kale and spinach are excellent sources of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.  These are stored in the eye’s macula and help protect the eye from damaging light. Lutein is especially good at filtering out blue light, the kind that shines from the screens of our digital devices.

Blueberries

This little blue gem can help provide extra vision protection and strengthen blood vessels in the back of the eyes. Blueberries are rich in anthocyanins, which help lower high blood pressure and inflammation and prevent blockages in the arteries that feed oxygen to the retina. If you spend a lot of time in the sun, anthocyanins can also help to protect your retina against damage from UV light exposure.

Carrots

Carrots are well-known to be good for our eyes, and for good reason. They are an excellent source of lutein, and beta-carotene which is converted by the body into vitamin A. Vitamin A helps with the production of both rod and cone cells in the eyes, which help you see in low light conditions and to see colors. Lutein is found in high concentrations in the macula of the eye and helps to prevent macular degeneration, which can lead to blindness. It can also help prevent eye infections and other serious eye conditions.

Citrus fruits

Citrus fruits high in vitamin C like oranges, kiwi fruit, and strawberries can help to fight age-related eye damage. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that helps protect the body from free radicals and supports the growth and repair of new tissue cells. This is great news for our eyes as it helps maintain healthy blood vessels in the eyes.  It also helps build collagen, which provides structure for your cornea.

Eggs

Eggs are a great food to eat to maintain eye health. The yolks contain vitamin A, lutein, zeaxanthin, and zinc, which are all vital for healthy eyes. Vitamin A protects the cornea, zinc is essential for the retina, and lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the risk of serious eye conditions like age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Almonds

Nuts and seeds like almonds are generally good for eye health. Almonds contain vitamin E which fights unstable molecules that target healthy eye tissue. Consuming regular amounts of vitamin E can help prevent age-related macular degeneration as well as cataracts.

Fish

Salmon and other fish are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fatty acids help contribute to visual development and the health of the retina. They can also help prevent conditions such as dry eyes caused by spending too much time on a screen.