t’s easy to take our vision for granted when we see well, but when our vision starts to deteriorate it’s often too late to make lifestyle and dietary changes to reverse it. Therefore, it’s important to take measures now to prevent damage later.

Switching to a nutrient-dense diet that includes plenty of high-quality foods can help protect you against dry eyes, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (also called diabetes-related vision loss). Although eating a healthy diet is not a cure for these conditions, there is growing evidence that certain nutrients from food can reduce their risk and slow their progression.

Since cataracts are caused by free-radical damage to proteins in the eye’s lens, antioxidants are important to prevent the damage. Specifically, vitamins C and E and the carotenes lutein and zeaxanthin may reduce the risk for developing cataracts and the need for cataract surgery. These same nutrients, along with beta carotene and zinc, can also help lower the risk of developing AMD and the macular tissue damage and loss of vision associated with it. For those who have AMD, a vitamin supplement called Ocuvite PreserVision that contains these nutrients has been shown to slow the progression of AMD, though it has not been shown to help prevent it in those with healthy eyes.

Eating plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish and fish oil supplements, can help prevent and treat painful dry eye syndrome, which affects about 8% of adults under 60 and almost 20% of adults over 80.

Diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to vision loss, affects individuals with diabetes and pre-diabetes (elevated blood sugar). Eating to control your blood sugar is an important way to prevent this very common cause of vision impairment and new evidence shows that eating to control blood sugar can also help prevent AMD, especially for older adults (see Nutrition Notes, May 2007).

Since we’re essentially all at risk, it’s important to do whatever we can to help prevent these common eye diseases. Not smoking, avoiding second-hand smoke, protecting your eyes from the sun’s UVA and UVB rays with proper sunglasses and hats, and keeping blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels under tight control are important lifestyle measures you can take in addition to changing your diet. Eating a healthful diet that includes adequate amounts of vitamin C and E, beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc and omega-3 fats is a practice that could benefit your eyes and your overall well-being. Green, orange, and red fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains and lean animal proteins are sources of these important nutrients. For specific foods that contain these nutrients, check out the charts below but keep in mind that these are not the only foods that will protect your vision. Eat a variety of foods each day, especially deeply colored produce, and minimize sodium, saturated fat and trans fat to ensure that your eye-healthy diet is nutritionally optimal.

Good Sources of Vitamin C Red bell peppers Orange juice Oranges Broccoli Chili peppers Strawberries Papaya Kiwi Brussels sprouts Cantaloupe	Good Sources of Vitamin E Sunflower seeds Almonds Hazelnuts Wheat germ Pumpkin seeds Turnip greens Pine nuts Tomato sauce or puree Peanut butter Spinach Avocado Olive oil
Good Sources of Lutein And Zeaxanthin Kale Collard greens Turnip greens Spinach Broccoli Parsley Red bell peppers Yellow corn Romaine lettuce Brussels sprouts Egg yolks	Good Sources of Zinc Oysters Beef Crab Wheat germ Whole grains Sunflower seeds Turkey, dark meat Lentils, other legumes Yogurt Tofu
Good Sources of Beta Carotene Sweet potatoes Dried apricots Kale Carrots Cantaloupe Apricots Pumpkin Winter squash Broccoli Spinach	Good Sources of Omega-3 Fats Anchovies packed in oil Wild salmon Mackerel Black cod Whitefish Sardines Bluefin tuna Herring Rainbow trout Canned albacore tuna Halibut