What to eat for healthy eyes
When it comes to protecting your vision, a healthy diet can go a long way.
Jan, 2026
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As you grow older, you may worry more about your eyes. Many adults in the United States are more afraid of losing their vision to diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and cataracts than they are of developing heart disease, stroke, or cancer, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
But there’s good news: Eating a healthy diet can help nourish your eyes and protect against vision loss and eye diseases. Focusing on certain foods and nutrients may be especially helpful.
Written byMichael Gollust.
Medically reviewed byMegan Burke, MD.
Sources: National Institutes of Health (NIH). Vitamin A and Carotenoids. Page last updated August 12 + 13
- National Institutes of Health (NIH). Vitamin A and Carotenoids. Page last updated August 12, 2022.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH). Vitamin C. Page last updated March 26, 2021.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH). Vitamin E. Page last updated March 26, 2021.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH). Zinc. Page last updated September 28, 2022.
- Cleveland Clinic. What is Zeaxanthin? Benefits and Side Effects. Page last updated March 27, 2024.
- Daisy Whitbread. Top 10 Foods Highest in Lutein and Zeaxanthin. My Food Data. Page last updated August 23, 2024.
- Daisy Whitbread. Top 10 Foods Highest in Lycopene. My Food Data. Page last updated August 23, 2024.
- Brito M, Sorbier C, et al. Understanding the Impact of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Review. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(7):4099. Published 2024 Apr 7.
- Jiang B, Wei X, et al. Association between dietary consumption of fatty acids and age-related macular degeneration in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Sci Rep 14, 11016 (2024).
- National Institutes of Health (NIH). Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Page last updated February 15, 2023.
- National Eye Institute (NEI). AREDS 2 Supplements for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Page last updated June 22, 2021.
- Lam S, Lindsey J, et al. Shedding light on eye disease in obesity: A review. Clin Obes. 2024;14(1):e12616.
- Zheng C, Wei X, et al. The causal effect of obesity on diabetic retinopathy: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023;14:1108731. Published 2023 Apr 3.
- Mount Sinai. High blood pressure and eye disease. Page accessed October 25, 2024.
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