Diet for Dry Eyes

What you eat can have a direct effect on your eyes generally and on the symptoms associated with dry eye syndrome in particular. Your eye health diet should include plenty of green, leafy vegetables, at least two servings of fish per week, some nuts and some yellow or orange fruits and vegetables.

Too many bad carbs, such as refined white flour, can be bad for the eyes, leading to macular degeneration. It is believed that that blood sugar spikes caused by such complex carbohydrates could negatively affect the eyes. Rather than eating starchy carbs, go for high fiber fruits and vegetables.

The following should be a regular part of healthy eye diet:

• Vitamin A: cod liver oil, liver, carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash.
   

• Lutein and zeaxanthin: spinach, kale, collard greens.
   

• Vitamin C: sweet peppers (red or green), kale, strawberries, broccoli, oranges, cantaloupe.
   

• Bioflavonoids: citrus fruits, cherries, grapes, plums.
   

• Vitamin E: sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts.
   

• Selenium: brazil nuts, yeast, seafood.
   

• Zinc: oysters, hamburgers, wheat, nuts.
   

• Fatty acids: cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel, trout).