I can’t see anymore from hunger! A well-known phrase that underlines an inarginable need for food. Yes, nutrition has a positive or negative effect on sight.
Eating well and in a healthy way, first of all involves maintaining a good homeostatic balance of the whole body, i.e. a right level of psycho-physical well-being. This balance allows the eyes to keep the tear film, cornea, lens and retina healthy. The tear film is a complex mixture of molecules such as lipids, mucins and water, whose function is to protect the eye from external factors such as environmental stimuli, trauma and infections. Substances taken with food can directly or indirectly affect the composition of the tear film thus inducing changes in the ocular surface.
The substances derived from the diet can be of help and among them, the essential fatty acids, of the Omega-6 series that we find in buckwheat, seeds and nuts and Omega-3 of fish, may play a role in controlling inflammation and promoting the recovery of ocular surface structures. There are some elements that are directly related to eye function, others that are linked to a healthy lifestyle. Failure to comply with the latter leads to the intake of drugs that alter the homeostatic equilibrium of the eye and therefore affect the lacrimal surface and the entire visual apparatus. Vitamin A, B, C, D and E, along with antioxidants such as coenzyme Q10, lutein, zeaxanthin, melatonin, Omega-3 and beta-carotenes keep tears healthy. Any hormonal alteration or drug intake or incorrect diet can modify the tear film and therefore lead to annoying dry eye up to alteration to the cornea.
Berries, vegetables and fish: the Nordic diet against heart disease and diabetes
by Jeanne Perego
There are studies that show how antioxidants prevent the anatomical structures of the eye from depositing waste materials that would be the basis of macular degeneration. Finally, they keep the lens and retina healthy, avoiding alterations to them. Especially important are foods that contain vitamin B such as dried fruit, cereals such as pasta or rice and legumes, vitamin E such as whole foods, seeds and nuts, vitamin C in citrus, parsley and very colorful vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers. This is why it is important to have a correct diet complete in its nutrients, which allows the body to be structurally valid including the eyes.
A healthy diet involves a balance and harmonization of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, preferably slow-absorbed. An important and painful point of close connection between food and eyes is the excessive consumption of simple sugars (sweets) which cause an alteration of the tear surface, of the lens and of the retinal function, with a surge in blood sugar and a spike in blood sugar. insulin, which then leads to the development of an addiction in the intake of carbohydrates. The known eye diseases strictly linked to diet and altered blood sugar, such as diabetic retinopathy and more… A correct and varied diet keeps the tear surface perfect, the eyes healthy and bright.