Nutritionist recommends four vitamins and minerals to protect eyes

Like the rest of our bodies, the health of our eyes can depend on what we eat.

Certain diets, such as ones high in fat have been linked to eye problems such as macular degeneration, for example.

With this in mind, an expert spoke exclusively with Express.co.uk about the link between diet and our eyes.

Public health nutritionist and advisor to MacuShield eye health supplement range, Doctor Emma Derbyshire, said: “The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a World Report on Vision.

“Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment, and of these, at least one billion people have a vision impairment that could have been prevented or addressed.

“Concerningly, the WHO predicts a dramatic increase in the need for eye care in coming decades, potentially placing further challenges on healthcare systems.

“Just as we may eat to nourish our minds, we need to nourish our vision too. Unfortunately, this is not always easy.

“We all lead busy lives, and it can be hard to ensure we are getting all the nutrients we need to maintain health as we age.

“Plus, many of us, according to government nutrition surveys – National Diet and Nutrition Surveys (NDNS) – are guilty of not eating our five fruit and vegetables a day, leaving nutrition disparities in our diets.”

She specifically recommended four vitamins and minerals necessary to support good vision.

These are:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Copper
• Zinc.

You can up your intake either through diet or by taking supplements.

Dr Derbyshire explained: “Vitamin C, vitamin E, and copper each contribute to the
protection of cells from oxidative stress, while zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal vision.

“However, we are not necessarily getting all the nutrients we need to maintain our nutritional health as we age.

“For example, the NDNS shows that we are not always achieving the recommended nutrient intakes of zinc, a nutrient found in high concentrations in the retina.

“Indeed, among 19 to 64-year-olds, six percent of men and seven percent of women are failing to meet the lower reference nutrient intakes (LRNI) for zinc (5.5 mg a day for men and four mg/d for women).

“Oxidative stress is regarded as being one of the leading factors contributing to eye health
challenges.

“Certain nutrients that have antioxidant properties, such as vitamins C, E and copper may help to offset some of these effects which is why diets high in antioxidant rich foods should be developed as a habit from an early age.”

Foods high in vitamin C include citrus fruits, peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables and white potatoes.

Whereas vitamin E is found in vitamin E is found in plant-based oils, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.

These include wheat germ oil, sunflower, safflower, and soybean oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, peanut butter and pumpkin.

The best place to find copper in food is in those high in protein such as organ meats, shellfish, fish, nuts and seeds.

Zinc can be found in oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, crab, lobster and whole grains.

“However, many of us are guilty of not getting our vital five fruit and vegetables daily packed with antioxidants so topping up with a specially formulated eye supplement may help to deliver a more tailored profile of eye nutrients,” Dr Derbyshire added.

If you are concerned about your eye health it is best to speak with your optician before trying certain supplements.