Taking care of your eye health is a lot of work! You have to protect your eyes from UV rays, blue light, and avoid certain bad habits. And you also have to pay attention to what you put on your plate!
In the gourmet world of video games, only Kirby is allowed to swallow everything in his path. For mere mortals, it is unfortunately not that simple. Certain foods are not good for our eye health because they lack essential nutrients and are loaded with harmful elements.
Come on, follow the guide, and discover with us the foods to avoid to pamper your beautiful eyes, and as a bonus, a list of the best foods for your vision and an FAQ to take care of your peepers as they deserve.
Vitamins, antioxidants: what do our eyes feed on?
Our eyes are undoubtedly one of the most sensitive organs in our body. They also require a large dose of nutrients to function.
A good diet guarantees their proper functioning but also provides our pupils with formidable protection against certain environmental factors – such as blue light, which is one of the most recurring dangers to our retinas.
Why does the eye need nutrients?
Numerous studies confirm that the nutrients found in food have a beneficial influence on vision.
Vision problems are currently the most common sensory loss in Europe, but they can be avoided if you steer clear of a number of harmful foods and provide your eyes with the nutrients necessary for their proper functioning.
The part of the eye that needs the most energy is the macula, a small 2-millimeter area located at the back of your eyeball.
This area is very rich in cells called visual photoreceptors or cones.
To better understand, these cones are tiny parts that allow for precise vision and the assimilation of light to have a perfect and detailed visual field.
These cells need to be protected by specific antioxidants and carotenoids that act on them like protective filters.
There are three essential vitamins for happy eyes
Lutein & Zeaxanthin
These two elements are antioxidants known for protecting the retina and macula from free radicals coming from ultraviolet radiation. They are present in many foods or in the form of food supplements. These two carotene-derived molecules have better efficacy when combined.
Omega-3
These are essential fatty acids for the functioning and maintenance of the state of our eyes. Once assimilated by our bodies, they have an antioxidant action that effectively helps prevent the risk of AMD (age-related macular degeneration).
Vitamin C
In general, vitamin C contributes to a large number of metabolic and immune mechanisms in our organism; it is our regenerative potion. Regarding the eyes, it is an excellent antioxidant that works alongside omega-3 to preserve the state of our ocular system. Vitamin C is found in quantity in the retina of the eye. A clinical study from 2001 (AREDS) had demonstrated the potential protective effect of this acid on cataracts or AMD.
Legend has it that by combining this nutritional Triforce, your eyes will be endowed with super protective powers for years to come.
From sodas to ultra-processed foods: the worst foods for your vision
If you avoid foods that are harmful to the eyes, you considerably reduce the risk of developing certain eye pathologies.
Avoiding these risks first means knowing the food you should avoid… We take you on a tour of this delicious but dangerous world for eye health.
Sugary drinks and biscuits
Nothing is more pleasant than a big glass of your favorite soda after an exhausting afternoon finishing the story of Hitman 3. However, we are aware: sodas and other sugary drinks are not very good for your health.
The main reason is the amount of sugar they contain. A can of soda swallowed will surely make your glycemic high score explode.
And excess carbohydrates are not nice: if your body draws more energy from them than it needs, this extra sugar will be transformed differently: weight gain, cavities, cardiovascular problems, diabetes… Nice.
Excess sugar also accelerates the risks of cataracts and macular degeneration. Glucose allegedly alters the fibers of the lens and could cause an obstruction of the blood vessels that are particularly numerous in the macula area.
To reduce the risks associated with these diseases by 60%, it would suffice to reduce your consumption of sugar and favor other drinks or biscuits.
We also recommend some tasty and healthy drinks in another article - Smoothie recipes for gamers.
Alcohol
Who doesn't like to raise an elbow to toast to the victory of a good game of Apex? We know, it's so cool, but let's not forget: always in moderation.
Because moderation is nice: it encourages you less to call an ex on a whim. And it helps to protect your eyes!
What are the effects of alcohol on our vision?
Short-term:
- Double vision – which you may have already experienced after too many Dragon Ball-style shots.
- Deterioration of the tear film – ethanol promotes the evaporation of the hydrated part of the eye. Oops, not cool.
Long-term:
Excessive consumption can damage the optic nerve and logically the macular area. Oops, even less cool!
Ethanol molecules also disrupt the amount of nutrients and oxygen supply received in the optical system. They considerably reduce the levels of vitamins B, which are very important for the eye. This deficiency, in the long term, can irreversibly damage your vision. This phenomenon is called toxic nutritional optic neuropathy.
Ultra-processed products
Processed foods are food products manufactured from fresh or minimally processed foods.
We refer to them as "processed" because during their preparation, sugar, oils, salt, and a bunch of preservatives are added to keep them longer. Their nutritional value is generally below the average expected by dietary and health control centers.
If they are to be avoided, it is mainly because of all the additives they contain, which play a dangerous role in health.
Nitrate, sulfite, aluminum sulfate, phosphoric acid, aspartame, glutamate… all these names are flavor enhancers, preservatives, gelling agents that are added to prepared dishes.
All of this, all these little things added one on top of the other, like blocks in Minecraft, cause various diseases: high blood pressure due to salt, obesity due to bad sugars, cardiovascular diseases due to bad carbohydrates.
And it's no better for the eyes, because they provide them with no nutritional benefit – on the contrary, they weaken them.
So if you see these products, as Gandalf would say: "Run, you fools!".
Foods rich in saturated fats
To make the logical link with the paragraphs above, you must avoid foods that are too rich in saturated fats: you need to cut back a bit on the good cold cuts from the raclette, butter on bread, fast-food hamburgers, fried foods, milk, cheese, pastries in the shape of Jigglypuff…
Yes, the saturated fatty acids found in animal fats are not very good for our pupils.
Although they are useful to the body in some cases, foods with saturated fats are over-consumed these days.
This dietary excess promotes the formation of atheroma plaque on the surface of our arteries (a sort of coating of fat – cholesterol – and blood cells). This is what causes the obstruction of blood vessels, but also what accelerates the formation of clots and therefore strokes.
It is difficult, admittedly, to avoid them completely, but let's try to eat them more sparingly.
The good foods to know for good vision
The experts are unanimous: individuals who consume the right foods for vision are half as likely to develop AMD at an early age (i.e., before 50). You must therefore know which foods to prioritize on your plate.
Good food for vision: Green vegetables
If there is one thing you must prioritize, it is green vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mache, watercress, green beans, zucchini… The nightmare of children, but the delight of your little eyes. Courage, finish your vegetables!
What makes them so important for vision is that they are rich in macular pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin, in addition to containing iron, phosphorus, or even calcium in good quantities for some of them.
Some data (concerning the level of lutein and zeaxanthin):
- Spinach: 7 to 11mg per 100g
- Broccoli: 0.83 to 2.45 mg per 100g
- Zucchini: 2 mg per 100g
Seafood and fatty fish for eye health
You will often see salmon, herring, and sardines as omega-3 special foods. Indeed, they are the ones that possess the most.
Fatty fish are generally cold-water fish that store fat to withstand the low temperatures of their aquatic environments.
Seafood is also great to fill your plates: shrimp, oysters, or even lobster – if you get millions of views on Twitch, you might be able to afford it.
Omega-3s are very important for the immune system, memory, the cardiac system but also for the eyes, as we explained at the beginning of the article.
Some data (on omega-3):
- Salmon: 3.5 mg per 100g
- Fish: 0.3 mg per 100g (rich in phosphorus)
- Oysters: 0.35 mg per 100g (rich in iron)
Citrus fruits and berries
To start, most citrus fruits (orange, lemon, grapefruit, kiwi) are full of vitamin C, a nutrient as essential in our daily life as Zelda – Ocarina of Time on Nintendo 64.
This vitamin plays the role of an antioxidant at several levels in our organism: it supports our immune system, it boosts our physical and mental shape, it prevents common diseases, and eliminates free radicals like those that infiltrate the corners of our pupils.
Berries such as blueberries contain vitamins C and E (super antioxidants) but above all anthocyanidins, pigmentary components, which allow for boosting visual acuity in addition to protecting the retina by improving its blood circulation.
Some data (on vitamin C):
- Orange: 40mg per 100g
- Kiwi: 100 mg per 100g (the fruit richest in vitamin C)
Shelled nuts
Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews are fruits with shells that we often recommend as a little snack between two games of Valorant. They are very rich in omega-3 and vitamin E.
They are also excellent sources of vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), a vitamin complex that is important for preventing macular degeneration.
Carrots
Carrots are rich in vitamin A, lutein, and zeaxanthin. This nutritional trio works to provide antioxidant support for eye cells while slowing the decline of visual acuity (AMD, glaucoma, or cataracts).
Final word: what foods are bad for the eyes?
We know that avoiding bad foods isn't easy every day; the important thing is above all to reduce them to rebalance your diet. No need to ban pasta, oils, and foods you enjoy, but replace the bad foods with foods that are good for your eyes, and you'll already be taking a big step forward!
Don't hesitate to check our blog; we have posted and continue to post dish ideas, recommendations, and complete guides on nutrition. Quick, here is a little link to our nutrition section!
And a small selection:
- Gamer Nutrition | Eat better to perform better
- Best food supplement for the eyes | Enhanced gamer vision
- How to strengthen your eyes | Foods that improve vision
- Vegetables good for vision
And... bon appétit!
FAQ: taking care of your eyes
What damages the eyes the most? What damages the retina?
- The sun: the sun emits UV rays that are particularly toxic to the eyes. Hence the importance of wearing good sunglasses.
- Too many screens: We may develop the best anti-blue light glasses and the best gamer glasses of all time, but your eyes need contrast. Nothing beats a good hike to maintain your visual acuity.
- A poor diet: You already know all about that from this article.
- Smoking and drinking
- Tattooing your eye: hello, lunatics.
- The passage of time: your cells age (a little less quickly if you are an elf).
Is there a link between diet and glaucoma?
We have prepared a special report on glaucoma at this address, to learn everything about one of the most common eye pathologies.
And good news: diet is not responsible for glaucoma. Be careful, however, not to overdo the coffee, known to increase pressure in the eyes, and it is this pressure that leads to glaucoma. But normal consumption is harmless.
And as with everything, tobacco complicates things. So drop your cigarette and remember: tobacco is taboo, we'll all beat it eventually!
What is the best food for the eyes?
There isn't just one; it's a combination of different nutrients that will allow you to see as far as the Horus X falcon. To help you, we have compiled a super list of superfoods here.
What is the best vitamin for the eyes?
Once again, it's a combo. Here are the main ones:
👉🏻 Vitamin A, C, E, B (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, and B12)
And otherwise, you also need quite a bit of Lutein and Zeaxanthin, Omega-3, Omega-6, and Zinc.
Comments
merci
Merci pour vos conseils alimentaires, ça nous aides beaucoup