All our senses are precious, but sight is the sense people fear losing the most, yet many of us don’t know how to look after our eyes.
Although age is the biggest risk factor for many eye diseases, eating well and staying hydrated can help to maintain good eye health over your lifetime.
Staying hydrated
The human body is made up of 70 per cent water. Water is essential to the normal working of the body and for keeping your eyes healthy. Dehydration can lead to dry, sore and irritated eyes. The Food Standards Agency recommends that you drink approximately 1.2 litres (6-8 glasses) of water every day and more when you exercise or if the weather is hot.
Eat right for good sight
Eating a healthy balanced diet can reduce your risk of developing common eye conditions. Eye friendly nutrients found in many fruits and vegetables including spinach, red peppers, kale, leeks, avocado, peaches and blueberries can help to protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – a condition that impairs the vision of more than 600,000 people in the UK and is the leading cause of blindness in the western world.
Cold water fish such as sardines, mackerel and tuna are all excellent sources of DHA and Omega-3 fatty acids, which provide structural support to cell membranes in the eye and are recommended for dry eye, the treatment of macular degeneration and general sight preservation.
Recent research has shown how eating fish just once a week can reduce your risk of developing early AMD by up to 40 per cent.
Source: Moorfields Eye Hospital – https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/content/ten-steps-healthy-eyes
