The fruits and vegetables that will reduce your risk of vision loss

It turns out eating carrots might just help prevent age-related eye disease if research out of the United Kingdom is to be believed.

Dr Christopher Hammond, a professor of opthalmology at King’s College London says foods high in Vitamin C decreased the risk of vision loss from cataracts.

A cataract is the clouding of the lens in your eye and it develops naturally as you age. Treatment often involves surgery however, the study suggests that diet could have a greater impact on the rate at which they develop.

The research involved more than 2,000 female twins from the United Kingdom completing a survey about food, which tracked their nutrient intake. The average age of the participants was just over 60 years.

What the study found was that over a 10-year period when follow-up measurements were taken for 324 twins, genetic factors only accounted for 35 per cent of the progression of nuclear cataracts while environmental factors accounted for the remaining 75 per cent. In particular it was dietary vitamin C that had the greatest protection against cataract progression.

Further, foods with vitamin E and beta-carotene also significantly reduce the risk of developing eye disease.

What foods are good for you?

Well, besides carrots you might want to up your intake of sweet potato, squash, peaches, rockmelon, kale and spinach. These are all great sources of beta-carotene.

Naturally, any citrus fruit contains vitamin C, but you can also look to kiwifruit, green peppers, broccoli and tomato juice to increase your intake.

Nuts, seeds, wheat germ, avocado, whole grains and kale — yes, again — are wonderful sources of vitamin E.

Hammond admits that it’s not just these antioxidants that are good for ageing, but a healthy diet.

Other nutrients that have been proven to benefit your eyes are vitamin A, omega-3, zinc and lutein.

Do you have a problem with your eyesight? Would you make changes to your diet to protect your vision?