Vitamin A Eyesight
Vitamin A can be found in many fruits and vegetables but is perhaps most commonly associated with the carrot. It is thanks to Vitamin A that this lovely vegetable has earned its good reputation as a pro-eyesight food. However, you should not forget that there are many other great sources of Vitamin A, especially in the form of Retinol, found in animal food sources.
Vitamin A is chemically related to the retinoids, a natural substance that stimulates a positive effect on eyesight, cell division, bone growth and tumour suppression. It also works to strengthen the human body’s immune system and can thus be classified as anti-infective.
There are several foodstuffs that contain Vitamin A and thus have a positive effect on your vision:
- carrots
- sweet potatoes
- pumpkin
- grapefruit
- apricot
- cantaloupes
- fish
- egg
- liver (beef, chicken, pork, turkey)
- milk
- butter
How does Vitamin A improve eyesight?
As mentioned above, a specific form of Vitamin A is referred to a Retinol. It is out of this substance that Rhodopsin is made - the visual pigment in the retina of the human eye. By consuming a healthy amount of Retinol (beware not to overdose!), an appropriate level of Rhodopsin can be maintained in the retina, thus resulting in good eyesight.
Retinol is needed to be able to absorb light properly. By consuming foods in the list above you are directly supplying your eyes with what it needs to maintain healthy eyes. Without Vitamin A, there would not be enough Retinol supplied to the retina of the eye, inevitably causing worsened vision
Can you lose your eyesight without Vitamin A?
Seeing as most of the foods listed above are part of our daily diet, the chance is little of not eating the minimum amount of Vitamin A required for proper vision. However, a lack of Vitamin A can lead to problems such as a weakened immune system and night blindness.
For healthy vision, a healthy and daily intake of Vitamin A is required. However, if you are experiencing a decrease in your vision, we recommend you to schedule an appointment with your local eye doctor for proper diagnosis.
