What are the eye nutrients?

The eyes, as a facial organ, play a very important role in the human body, because the eyes are mainly an organ used by people to observe external things. If the body lacks certain trace elements, it will affect the vision of the eyes. Therefore, most people need to eat some food to supplement their eye nutrition and make their eyesight better. So what are the nutrients that can be supplemented for the eyes?

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is the most important nutrient for the eyes. Lack of vitamin A will reduce the eyes' ability to adapt to dark environments, and in severe cases, it is easy to suffer from night blindness.

The best way to get vitamin A

Carrots are rich in carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A in the body and used by the human body. Because carotene is fat-soluble, carrots should be stir-fried with oil or cooked with meat to increase the absorption rate several times. Vitamin A is relatively resistant to high temperatures and will not suffer significant losses during the cooking process. However, vitamin A's acid resistance is relatively weak and it is easily destroyed by acidic foods. Therefore, foods rich in vitamin A should not be cooked at the same time as acidic foods to avoid the loss of vitamin A.

Foods Rich in Vitamin A

Liver of various animals, cod liver oil, milk and eggs; colored vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, amaranth, spinach, leek, green pepper, red sweet potato, pumpkin and fruits such as papaya, mango, apricot, persimmon, etc.

calcium

Calcium deficiency can easily cause abnormalities in the eye structure and abnormal development of intraocular tissues, leading to myopia.

The best way to get calcium

Calcium in food is easily affected by oxalic acid and turned into insoluble precipitates, which cannot be absorbed by the human body. Therefore, when eating calcium foods, do not eat vegetables rich in oxalic acid, such as spinach, water spinach, etc. at the same time. Also be careful not to mix the two together when cooking.

Calcium-rich foods

Dairy products such as milk and cheese, soy products such as soy milk and tofu, dried shrimps, sesame paste, etc.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C in fruits and vegetables has a protective effect on the lens of the eye. If you lack vitamin C, the lens may become cloudy and you may develop cataracts.

The best way to get vitamin C

Vitamin C is easily soluble in water and easily oxidized. It is more easily destroyed when exposed to high temperatures, so vegetables should be washed before cutting and only cut when ready to cook. When cooking, they should be stir-fried quickly in a hot pan and the frying time should be shortened as much as possible.

Foods Rich in Vitamin C

Various fresh vegetables and fruits, especially green peppers, broccoli, fresh peas, cucumber, cauliflower, pakchoy, etc. among vegetables, and papaya, kiwi, fresh dates, and citrus fruits (tangerines, oranges, grapefruits) among fruits have the highest content.

DHA

DHA is an important nutrient for the growth of nervous system cells and maintaining their normal functions. It is essential for promoting intellectual development and protecting vision.

The best way to get DHA

Breast milk is particularly rich in DHA. However, the DHA content in breast milk depends on the food structure of the three meals. Japanese mothers eat more fish, and the DHA content in their breast milk is as high as 22%, ranking first in the world; Australia is second at about 10%; while the content in the breast milk of American mothers is lower, only 7%.

Foods Rich in DHA

Breast milk, formula milk with added DHA, cooking oil, deep-sea fish, egg yolks and nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts, sesame, etc.).

Lutein

Lutein is an important nutrient for the human retina and an important antioxidant for maintaining eye health. Lutein is highly concentrated in the macula of the retina and the lens, acting like "invisible sunglasses" for the eyes, helping to protect the retina from damage by blue light and acting as a barrier for the eyes.

Best intake method

According to research, the food richest in lutein is kiwi, followed by yellow corn and egg yolk. Although the content in egg yolk is not high, it is highly biologically active. Lutein cannot be synthesized in the body and must be obtained from food.

Foods Rich in Lutein

Breast milk, formula milk with added lutein, corn, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, egg yolk, pumpkin, carrot, etc., and fruits include mango, kiwi, etc.

Vitamin B2

Lack of vitamin B2 can cause problems such as dry eyes and conjunctivitis, so you should supplement with foods rich in vitamin B2.

The best way to take vitamin B2

Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, is slightly soluble in water and is stable when heated in neutral or acidic solutions. Therefore, foods containing vitamin B2 are not afraid of being cooked with acidic foods, but the moisture content must also be controlled during cooking to avoid excessive loss of vitamin B2.

However, vitamin B2 can be destroyed by light and by heating in alkaline solutions. Therefore, vitamin B2 is easily destroyed by alkaline foods and cannot be cooked together with alkaline foods. In addition, vitamin B2 is afraid of light, so be careful to avoid light when storing milk. In addition, the body's storage of vitamin B2 is very limited, so it must be provided by the diet every day.

Foods Rich in Vitamin B2

Milk, cheese, lean meat, egg yolk and various seafood (such as seaweed, etc.), others such as mushrooms, straw mushrooms, fungus and peas.