Are Carrots Good for your Eyes?

Is the saying that carrots benefit the eyesight, just a baloney? We would say, not entirely. Any food that contains a good amount of vitamins and nutrients will always have some healthy profits, be it carrots or spinach. They might not give you an X-ray vision or make you as strong as Popeye, but will surely provide some assistance for your healthy growth and development.

Here’s how carrots benefit your vision.

Are Carrots Good For Your Eyes?

The phenomenon of carrot is essential for improving your eyesight dates back to the days of World War II when the British Air Force pilots’ gave credits to carrots for their excellent night vision. They were heard saying that carrots were the main ingredient of their daily meals because the root vegetable is a rich source of beta-carotene which naturally nourishes the eye.

(Image Courtesy: Windmill Hill City Farm)

Carrots And Their Benefits For Your Eyesight

Carrots and carrot juice and good eyesight have become synonyms for all the parents who wish the best for their kids. Abundant amounts of Vitamin A in the orange colored root vegetable have made it quite a sensation amongst the opticians, as well. Have a look.

• Vitamin A

Carrots are a rich source of beta-carotene which is a carotenoid pigment. It acts as an essential herald of vitamin A, which is great for improving the eyesight. Deficiencies in vitamin A can lead to blindness. While carrots have health benefits for your eyes, eating them regularly will not mean a 100% restoration of your lost vision. The Bugs Bunny’s favorite carrots cannot cure optical deformities like astigmatism, or conditions like strabismus and diseases like glaucoma.

Because carrots are rich in vitamin A and lutein, they are said to be a nutrient-packed snack or vegetable and hence have become one of the most popular lunch box choices for mothers.

Lack of Vitamin A in the body may lead to conditions like

- Cataracts

- Macular degeneration

- Xerophthalmia (causing dry eyes, swollen eyelids, and corneal ulcers)

• Lutein 

(Image Courtesy: SBS)

Carrots are a lutein-rich food. Lutein is an antioxidant which helps in stimulating the density of macula (pigment), in the yellow-shaped oval area in the center of the retina. The dense pigment helps in protecting the retina against any macular degeneration risks.

While carrots might be good for improving your vision, binging on carrots will not accelerate the process. Excess of beta-carotene in the body does not necessarily get converted to Vitamin-A because the body naturally rejects excess of Vitamin-A intake as its accumulation might spike up the toxic levels in the body. 

Doctors suggest that one can rely on green, leafy vegetables like spinach, kale or collard green when it comes to inculcating nutrient-rich food I n your daily meals. The abundance of lutein and zeaxanthin will help in protecting your eyes by sieving out the high-energy wavelengths of visible light which are unhealthy for the retina.

Did carrot help in improving your child’s eyesight? Let us know in the comment section below.

(Featured Image Courtesy: Twi Copy)