Foods, vitamins and supplements all help keep your eyes healthy. Try these ideas:
1 Eat colourfully
Bright red tomatoes and capsicum provide vitamin C, which is linked with lowered cataract risk. Carrots and other orange vegetables are rich in beta-carotene, which protects against age-related macular degeneration(AMD).
2 Go fish
Cold-water fish like salmon and tuna are thought to improve vision because they contain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is concentrated in the retina. People who eat fish regularly have a 50 percent lower risk of AMD.
3 Try bilberry
During World War II, British pilots noticed that when they ate bilberry jam before a night flight, their vision was sharper. Bilberry contains anthocyanosides that strengthen the eyes’ capillaries, and support the production of rhodopsin, used by the eye for night vision.
4 Go for ginkgo
Ginkgo fights free-radical damage in the retina and improves blood flow. In one study, people who took ginkgo for six months experienced a significant improvement in their long-distance sight.
5 Exercise your eyes
The Bates method is a system of ‘eyesight re-education’. Practise these for 10 minutes a day.
- Palming
Rub your hands together then cup your palms over your eyes, without applying any pressure. Keep your back and neck straight and don’t drop your head.
- Focusing
Hold one index finger at arm’s length and the other about six inches away. Use both eyes to focus on one, then blink and focus immediately on the other.
- Blinking
Make dozens of delicate ‘butterfly blinks’ for 10-20 seconds; as you do so, turn your head gently from left to right, and back again.
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