As children, most of us will have been persuaded to eat our carrots with the promise of improved night vision. Clearing our plates might not have allowed us to suddenly see in the dark, but a colourful diet will have stood us in good stead for protecting our sight as we age. Despite this, very few of us consider our eyes when deciding what we dish up for dinner, according to Seeing Sense, a new report carried out for supplement brand MacuShield. “Only nine per cent of people polled said they eat a diet containing all the nutrients known to support eye health,” says public health nutritionist and co-author of the report, Dr Emma Derbyshire. So what are we missing?
OIL CHANGE: “Three types of omega-3 fats are needed for good eye health, with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in particular, having a vital role in providing structure for the retina,” says optometrist Francesca Marchetti, co-author of the report. “Of all body tissues, the retina contains the highest concentration of DHA.
“The best source is oily fish such as salmon, trout or tuna yet just a third of UK adults eat these on a regular basis, with the average adult managing less than half of the recommended 140g serving a week, while teenagers get, on average, just 21g according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey.”
Dr Derbyshire adds: “Unless you’re allergic, it’s good to eat two portions of fish a week – one of these needs to be an oily fish.
“Remember that shellfish like prawns also provides omega-3s.”
B EYE AWARE: “Vitamin B2 is another nutrient that reinforces eye health by helping to maintain normal vision but one in eight women are at increased risk of deficiency,” says Dr Derbyshire. “Like DHA, vitamin B2 functions in the retina. Get a regular supply of B vitamins by cooking from scratch using eggs, mackerel, Greek yogurt, feta cheese, salmon, white mushrooms, dried shiitake mushrooms and spinach.”
RAINBOW VISION: Francesca says: “Colourful vegetables are good for the eyes because of the macular carotenoids they contain, specifically lutein, meso-zeaxanthin and zeaxanthin.
In the UK, our children are only eating two to three of the recommended five-a-day fruit and vegetable servings. It’s also been estimated that our daily diets contain just 1mg to 2mg lutein, which experts think may be too low.
“Choose dark green vegetables for lutein, such as broccoli, spinach and dark green kale. Go for orange and yellow fruits and vegetables for zeaxanthin, like yellow/orange peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes and sweetcorn.
Dr Derbyshire says to get the maximum hit of lutein, “it’s best to lightly boil, steam or microwave vegetables as overcooking reduces the amount absorbed by the body”.
Adding a knob of butter or some oil to veg also increases how much lutein and zeaxanthin you absorb.
EYEDRATE: “Hydration is important for eye health – particularly preventing dry eyes,” says Francesca. “Woman and older girls should have two litres of liquid a day, while men and older boys should aim for 2.5 litres.
“This doesn’t need to be water – it can include milk, tea, soup, yogurts and low-calorie drinks. In warmer weather, our need for fluid increases so drink often and keep alcohol to a minimum as it dehydrates us.”
BRIDGING GAPS: Francesca says: “Unfortunately, not everyone eats enough veg or enjoys the taste of oily fish, so bridging gaps with the appropriate targeted eye supplements may be worth considering, alongside a healthy diet and lifestyle.”
For further tips and advice go to Vision Matters. MacuShield Original+ Omega 3 (£28.99 for one-month supply; Boots) contains all three macular carotenoids