One of the many aspects of your life that can affect your eye health is your diet. As organs, your eyes rely on specific nutrients to function properly. The skilled optometrists at Wing Eyecare, serving residents of Miamisburg, OH, stress the importance of proper nutrition to maintain the quality of your eyes. To explain the issue in greater detail, they've outlined everything you need to know about the connection between diet and healthy eyes in this handy guide.

How Diet Affects Your Eyes

There are two ways your diet can affect your eyesight — directly and indirectly. Your eyes can directly be affected by your diet as a result of nutrients. If your eating habits don't produce the necessary vitamins and minerals needed for your eyes to function properly, they strain to work and can be permanently damaged.

A poor diet can result in other health problems that consequently affect the health of your eyes. One of the most common instances of this occurring happens to individuals suffering from diabetes. When there is an abundance of glucose in your blood, it can slowly damage one or both of the eyes and eventually cause blindness.

Vitamins That Help Keep Eyes Healthy

Multiple studies have been completed to identify the best vitamins to maintain overall eye health. The vitamins that eye doctors recommend the most include lutein, vitamin C, vitamin E, and the omega-3 essential fatty acids DHA & EPA.

While over-the-counter supplements are an excellent way to complement your diet, the best way to achieve the recommended daily dose of each nutrient is through food. A great source of lutein is egg yolks, while red peppers and orange juice offer a significant amount of vitamin C. You achieve an entire day's worth of vitamin E through wheat germ oil, but you may find it more convenient to eat almonds, sunflower seeds, or peanut butter. Both DHA and EPA are types of omega-3s that are easily consumed through fish, most notably salmon.

Along with a proper diet, the optometrists at Wing Eyecare encourage clients to schedule yearly eye exams to ensure eye health. Arrange an appointment today by calling their Miamisburg office at (937) 247-2000, or visit their website to learn more about Wing Eyecare's long history serving Ohio residents. You can also connect with the optometrists on Facebook.