Eye health resource
8 Nutrients & Their Food Sources for Clearer Eyesight
A balanced diet supports eye health, but food cannot erase a refractive prescription. Learn about 8 nutrients found in healthy foods and where supplements do—and do not—fit.
Reviewed for accuracy by Justin Bazan, OD on .
A healthy diet supports the tissues that make vision possible, but eating a particular food will not erase nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, or another refractive prescription. “Eye-healthy” nutrition is best understood as part of long-term health rather than a way to make an eyeglass prescription disappear.
A varied diet containing vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish or other protein sources, and healthy fats can supply nutrients the eyes and the rest of the body need.
1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A is essential for normal retinal function and low-light vision. Severe vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness and, in advanced cases, serious eye-surface disease.
Food sources include:
- sweet potatoes
- carrots
- spinach and other dark leafy greens
- eggs
- dairy products
- orange and yellow vegetables rich in beta-carotene
More is not always better. High-dose vitamin A supplements can be toxic, so new night-vision difficulty should prompt an eye examination rather than self-treatment with large doses.
2. B Vitamins
B vitamins such as B6, folate (B9), and B12 support normal cellular and neurologic function. Deficiency can have health consequences, including effects on the nervous system.
Food sources include poultry, fish, meat, eggs, dairy products, legumes, leafy greens, and fortified grains or cereals. Evidence does not support telling every patient that extra B-vitamin supplementation will prevent cataracts or macular degeneration.
3. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant and is involved in connective-tissue and blood-vessel health.
Food sources include:
- citrus fruit
- strawberries
- kiwifruit
- bell peppers
- broccoli
Vitamin C is also one component of the specialized AREDS2 supplement formula used for certain patients with age-related macular degeneration—but that does not mean everyone needs high-dose vitamin C for their eyes.
4. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important for bone, immune, and general health. Researchers continue to study associations between vitamin D status and several eye conditions, but that is different from proving that vitamin D supplements prevent common eye disease.
Food sources include fatty fish, egg yolks, and fortified foods. Supplement decisions should be based on overall medical needs rather than an unsupported promise of sharper vision.
5. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant. Sources include nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, avocado, and leafy greens.
Like vitamin C, vitamin E is included at a specific dose in AREDS2 for selected AMD patients. High-dose vitamin E supplementation is not a universal recommendation for people with healthy retinas.
6. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are components of cell membranes and are found in high concentrations in neural tissues including the retina. Good dietary sources include fatty fish, flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts, and certain plant oils.
Omega-3 supplements should not be marketed as a proven way to prevent cataract or age-related macular degeneration. In the National Eye Institute's AREDS2 trial, adding omega-3 supplements did not reduce progression to advanced AMD or cataract.
7. Lutein and Zeaxanthin
Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids concentrated in the macula. They are found in foods such as:
- spinach and kale
- broccoli
- corn
- eggs
- other green and yellow vegetables
These nutrients are also part of the AREDS2 formulation, where they are used in specific patients with intermediate AMD or late AMD in one eye. That research should not be generalized into a recommendation that every healthy person take an AREDS2 supplement.
8. Zinc
Zinc supports many enzymes and cellular processes in the body and plays an important role in retinal metabolism.
Food sources include:
- meat and poultry
- shellfish
- dairy products
- beans and lentils
- nuts and seeds
- whole grains
High-dose zinc is another component of AREDS2 for selected AMD patients; it is not a general prescription for everyone interested in eye health.
What Is AREDS2—and Who Is It For?
AREDS2 is a specific high-dose vitamin and mineral formula shown to reduce the risk of progression from intermediate to advanced age-related macular degeneration in appropriate patients. It does not prevent AMD from starting and does not benefit people simply because they want to keep healthy eyes healthy.
The older AREDS formula contained beta-carotene, which raises lung-cancer risk in current and former smokers. The newer AREDS2 formula replaces beta-carotene with lutein and zeaxanthin.
If you have macular degeneration, ask your eye doctor whether AREDS2 is appropriate for your stage of disease before starting a high-dose supplement.
Food First Is a Sensible Default
For most people without a diagnosed deficiency or a disease-specific supplement indication, a balanced diet is a more sensible eye-health strategy than assembling a stack of high-dose vitamins.
Nutrition works alongside other important eye-health habits: avoiding smoking, managing diabetes and blood pressure, using appropriate UV protection, treating eye disease, and having examinations at intervals appropriate for your age and risk factors.
What If My Vision Is Getting Blurrier?
A change in diet will not correct an outdated eyeglass prescription or diagnose an eye disease. If vision has changed, a comprehensive eye examination can determine whether the cause is refractive, ocular, or medical.
Book an appointment if you are noticing new blur or want your eye health evaluated.
Originally published . Substantially updated .