The Optometrist Says: Eat Carrots for Healthy Eyes

We have all been told that carrots improve your eyesight, but is it the truth? Eye care professionals know that carrots can't save you from needing eye glasses. However, carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a vitamin that is very good for the health of your eyes and therefore eating carrots and other beta-carotene rich foods is definitely a recommendation for proper eye health.

Beta-carotene is a carotenoid, or orange pigment that changes into vitamin A after it's absorbed in the human body. Vitamin A helps to guard the cornea, or surface of the eye, and has been proven to be preventative for various eye diseases such as macular degeneration. Vitamin A, which is composed of a number of antioxidants, guards the surface of the eye to reduce the frequency of ocular infections and other infectious diseases. Vitamin A is also known to be a successful solution for dry eyes and other eye conditions. A lack of vitamin A (which is be more likely in underdeveloped countries) often causes night blindness, corneal ulcers and retinal damage which can contribute to blindness.

Two variations of vitamin A exist, which depend upon the nutritional source they come from. Retinol is vitamin A derived from an animal source such as beef, chicken liver, whole milk or cheese. Vitamin A that is fruit and vegetable-derived comes in the form of ''provitamin A'' carotenoids, which break down to retinol after the food is digested. In addition to carrots, carotenoids are ingested when eating colorful fruits and vegetables such as oranges, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale and cantaloupes.

There is no doubt that vitamin A is beneficial to your eyes and your total health. Even though carrots won't correct optical distortion which causes near or far-sightedness, grandma was right when she said ''finish your vegetables.''

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