As a medical professional, you know that what you eat can affect a patient’s health—even their vision. But people have long believed that one vegetable—the carrot—can positively affect their vision. Read on to learn whether carrots are really good for improving vision.
Why Are Carrots Good for a Person’s Vision?
When it comes to the question of whether carrots are good for a person’s eyesight, the short answer is yes. Although these colorful vegetables won’t work as miracle cures for poor vision, they do contain beta-carotene, which helps the human body produce vitamin A. This nutrient plays a critical role in protecting our eyes from certain conditions that can hinder vision, such as macular degeneration. It also fights nyctalopia, which makes it hard to see at night or in low-light situations.
Do Carrots Contain Anything Else That Is Beneficial for the Eyes?
If you’re wondering whether carrots contain anything else that can benefit your patients’ eyes, the answer is also yes. Carrots are good sources of lutein, an antioxidant that can prevent the retinas from experiencing damage from UV rays. Like vitamin A, lutein also is effective against causes of blindness, such as macular degeneration and cataracts.
Can Any Other Vegetables Contribute to Eye Health?
There are plenty of other vegetables that you can recommend to your patients to improve their eyesight, including leafy vegetables such as kale, another good source of vitamin A and lutein. Your patients can also try adding sweet potatoes, which will provide them with beta-carotene, to their diets.
You can also recommend that your patients continue to get regular eye exams. Automated Ophthalmics has many of the supplies you need to perform these examinations, including Tono-Pen tips. Our tips are simple to use so that you can measure eye pressure with ease.