Bright, sparkling eyes are one of a child's defining characteristics. To maintain eye health, in addition to daily eye hygiene, a healthy and nutritious diet is also essential.
From birth until the age of six is the golden period for visual development. According to statistics, 10% of preschoolers have poor vision, and 20% of first-grade elementary school students are nearsighted. In recent years, however, the onset of nearsightedness has been trending towards occurring earlier in preschoolers. It is worth noting that the younger the myopic patient, the faster their prescription deepens, and the higher the probability of becoming highly nearsighted. Furthermore, high myopia lays the groundwork for future risks of eye diseases such as retinal detachment and glaucoma. Therefore, experts recommend: eye care should start from a young age.
Tomato and Cauliflower
When it comes to protecting eyesight, most people think of Vitamin A.
Say goodbye to dry eyes—Vitamin A
Foods containing Vitamin A and carotene are beneficial for the eyes. This is because Vitamin A (which can also be converted from carotene) is a necessary component for the division of mucosal cells. If mucus secretion is insufficient, the eyes are prone to problems like dryness, fatigue, and redness associated with dry eye syndrome. Additionally, Vitamin A is a crucial component of rhodopsin (a light-sensitive pigment protein) within the eye's cells. If rhodopsin cannot be formed, the eye's ability to adapt to dark environments will diminish, and in severe cases, night blindness can occur.
Therefore, if your child's diet is long-term deficient in Vitamin A or carotene intake, or if they experience dry, uncomfortable eyes (e.g., decreased tear secretion, eyes no longer looking bright and moist), it is recommended to add foods rich in Vitamin A and carotene to their diet. Examples include animal-based sources like liver, egg yolks, milk, and dairy products, as well as plant-based sources like yellow-green vegetables and fruits (such as cauliflower, pumpkin, carrots, amaranth, spinach, chives, green peppers, sweet potatoes, papaya, mango, etc.).
The eyes contain many visual nerve cells that are closely related to vision, and Vitamin B complex, the great contributor to maintaining a healthy nervous system, is an important factor in the body's normal energy function and nerve transmission. However, it is often overlooked.
For example, in traditional Chinese cooking habits, daily diets are often prepared by frying, boiling, stir-frying, and deep-frying, which can easily destroy the heat-sensitive Vitamin B complex. Coupled with many people's preference for refined foods (like white rice), the intake of Vitamin B1 is significantly reduced, causing many nerve conduction problems.
Therefore, it would be ideal to intake Vitamin B1, B2, B6, niacin, and B12 simultaneously.
Do you know where to find such a complex of Vitamin B?
That's right. Foods such as animal liver, dairy products, lean meat, green leafy vegetables, legumes, wheat germ, brown rice, and brewer's yeast contain these rich vitality factors.
Protecting eye health—Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant and one of the components of the eye's lens. It not only helps prevent lens aging and protects the retina from UV damage but also promotes collagen formation, increasing the elasticity of small blood vessels in the eyes to help improve eye health. If the body lacks Vitamin C, it can easily lead to cataracts, which is clouding of the lens.
However, Vitamin C cannot be synthesized by the human body and must be consumed from food daily. Therefore, it is recommended to include more deep green and yellow-red fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamin C in your diet (such as green peppers, cucumbers, cauliflower, bok choy, fresh jujubes, guavas, tomatoes, strawberries, kiwis, grapefruits, etc.).
Sparkling eye vitality—DHA
When it comes to DHA, most parents would say: "It's an important nutrient that helps a baby's intellectual growth..." But you might not know that DHA is also a component of the eye! This essential fatty acid, which the human body cannot produce, is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid. DHA accounts for about 40% to 50% of retinal phospholipids (mainly concentrated in the retina and photoreceptors).
Because DHA can cross the blood-retinal barrier, it can stimulate the photoreceptor cells in the retina, allowing information to be transmitted quickly to the brain, thereby enhancing vision. It is recommended to consume more DHA-rich algae foods and deep-sea fish (for example, salmon, tuna, etc.).
Tomato blossoms