Why Vitamin A is Essential for Your Eye Health and How to Get Enough of it

/ Stonewire Optometry/
Why Vitamin A is Essential for Your Eye Health and How to Get Enough of it

In this blog post, we will explore why vitamin A is essential for your eyes, the problems that can arise if your levels are too low or too high, and the accessible food sources you can consume to ensure you get adequate amounts of this critical nutrient.

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Carrots - Myth or Fact?

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Question:

Does eating carrots really improve your vision?

Answer:

Yes and No. Eating copious quantities of carrots will not prevent or reverse your need for eyeglasses. Carrots however are high in beta-carotene, which gets converted to Vitamin-A in the liver and is an important nutrient with regards to proper eye health. Vitamin-A is an antioxidant and has been shown to slow the formation and progression of degenerative eye diseases like macular degeneration and cataracts. Vitamin-A deficiency can lead to night blindness a condition known as nyctalopia.

Carrots also contain the antioxidant lutein. Lutein is highly concentrated in the central macula area of the eye and helps to protect the eye from age-related macular degeneration, which is currently the leading cause of blindness in patients over the age of 50.

Like all good things, there is a limit. Excessive beta-carotene intake can cause a persons skin to turn orange, and chronic ingestion has been linked with an increase risk of lung cancer in smokers and recent ex-smokers.

 

Note: Always consult with your health care provider prior to starting any new supplements.