Carrots have long been said to improve eyesight. While that’s not true, some of the nutrients they contain may help fight certain eye problems.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
The Claim: Carrots are good for your eyesight.
Growing up many of us were told to eat our carrots because they help you see well. Turns out carrots and other fruits and veggies may in fact be good for your eyes but not necessarily in the way you might think.
The body makes vitamin A from the beta-carotene in carrots and other foods, and a deficiency of vitamin A can impair vision.
But if you get enough of the vitamin, which most people do from a normal diet, then eating lots of carrots won’t sharpen your eyesight.
But studies do show that some of the nutrients in carrots may help fight eye problems.
For example, research involving people with age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, has found that supplements consisting of the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamins A & C, plus zinc, can slow vision loss and disease progression.
And studies show that people who eat lots of foods rich in beta-carotene, such as carrots, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, spinach and kale, have a lower risk of cataracts.
Spinach and kale are also high in antioxidants known lutein and zeaxanthin, which have also been linked to a reduced risk of both cataracts and macular degeneration.
Regardless of how many carrots or other eye-friendly foods you consume, it’s still important to protect your eyes from damage by shielding them from the sun and not smoking.
Foods that may be good for your eyes are also good for your overall health, which is an important reason to include them your diet. But as for this…(holding up a carrot)…. helping you get rid of this…(holding a pair of reading glasses)… I wouldn’t set my sights on it.