Your eyes are not only the ‘windows to the soul’ but they are also essential for our health and wellbeing. Having poor or blurry vision can affect a person negatively in many ways; it can cause a person to be dizzy, suffer from headaches, as well as having balance issues. This is why taking in the correct amount of essential vitamins and minerals every day is crucial. Eating right and ingesting the correct amount of vitamins and minerals can not only maintain your vision, but may also help improve your eyesight.

Vitamins and minerals are not only essential for your eyes, but for your health as well-read on to learn more about the vitamins and minerals that improve your eyesight:

• Vitamin A: AKA the ‘eye vitamin’, vitamin A is an essential vitamin that not only ensures that the retina functions properly, but it also helps moisten your eyes and assists your eyes when they adjust to light changes. A deficiency in this vitamin can cause reduced night vision.
• Vitamin B: Vitamin B is not only responsible for nerve functions, but is also essential for healthy circulation in your eyes. In addition, vitamin B helps reduce the levels of amino acids that are responsible for vision loss.
• Vitamin C: Vitamin C works hand-in-hand with vitamin E in order to protect the tissues and improve the health of your eyes. Vitamin C also may reduce the risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts. A powerful antioxidant, vitamin C protects your cells from harmful chemicals, helps maintain the shape of the cornea, strengthens capillaries, as well as prevent cataracts from developing.
• Vitamin D: Being deficient in vitamin D can lead to problems with focusing and blurred vision. Research has discovered that vitamin D can also help prevent the development of macular degeneration.
• Vitamin E: Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects the retina, and may also reduce the risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts. Having a vitamin E deficiency can cause impaired vision, and abnormal eye movements.
• Anthocyanin: Contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can help improve vision. Fruits such as grapes, goji berries, and blueberries are rich in anthocyanin.
• Chromium: Chromium is helpful due to the part it plays in muscle contraction, which helps focus the eyes. Be sure to add more chromium rich foods into your daily diet, as you may find that you are straining to see less. Food that are rich in chromium include eggs, wheat germ, liver, beef, and spinach.
• Copper: Ingesting this mineral requires the oversight from a professional, as too much copper can be toxic, so be sure to check with your doctor. This mineral is helpful in the production of collagen, which not only helps keep the cell membranes healthy, but also is a crucial component in the development of connective tissues.
• DHA: DHA is an essential fatty acid that is known for providing structural support to cell membranes which can help boost eye health. You find DHA in cold-water fish such as cod, mackerel, wild salmon, and sardines.
• Lutein: A powerful antioxidant that helps protect the macula from sun damage, you can get this antioxidant from consuming yellow peppers, dark leafy greens, peas, carrots, sweet corn, egg yolks, sweet potato, broccoli, and pumpkin. Current research has discovered that consuming green and yellow vegetables can help in the prevention of age-related macular degeneration.
• Magnesium: This mineral not only helps protect you from developing glaucoma, but has also been shown to improve the vision in existing glaucoma patients. Magnesium also helps maintain the blood flow to the eye, but is also important in nerve conduction and helps dilate blood vessels.
• Quercetin: The flavonoid Quercetin is an antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, and an antioxidant that has been shown to improve how your body processes vitamin C, and makes it more effective. Quercetin has been shown to lower your risk of developing cataracts. You can find Quercetin in fruits such as cherries, blackberries, and blueberries.
• Selenium: By reducing free radicals that can damage the eye, selenium can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. This powerful antioxidant is also known for its ability to boost the immune system and fight off infections.
• Sulfur: You can find sulfur in capers, onions, garlic and shallots. These sulfur rich foods can help protect the lens of your eye from cataract formation.
• Zinc: Zinc helps protect a person against the swelling and cloudiness of the cornea, and has been shown to help slow down the onset of macular degeneration. In addition, zinc can also help protect the tissues as well as strengthens the eye cells.