Do carrots really improve vision?

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Many people believe that you can improve your eyesight and even learn to see in complete darkness if you eat a lot of carrots. The life hacker understands whether this is really so.

“For vision, carrots benefit from beta-carotene, a carotenoid that the body converts into vitamin A,” explains Michael Redmond, a researcher at the US National Eye Institute. - This vitamin promotes the production of opsin proteins in the cones and rhodopsin in the rods at the back of the eye. The cones are sensitive to daylight, while rhodopsin is sensitive to dim."

Lack of vitamin A can lead to nyctalopia, a visual disorder in which the ability to see at dusk is lost.

However, this does not mean that you need to lean on carrots. Vitamin A is found not only in it. For example, sweet potatoes or leafy greens (spinach, kale) have even more of it. Also, don't expect carrots to help improve your eyesight.

“Vitamin A is good for your eyes, but that doesn't mean it will completely heal your vision,” says Rebecca Taylor, a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "If you wear glasses or lenses, you can't refuse them."

There is one more but. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, so it must be ingested with fat. Only then will it be fully assimilated. If you just eat raw carrots, your body will not benefit.

For eye health, Rebecca Taylor recommends making a salad with spinach and kale, red bell peppers, almonds and carrots. These are all important sources of vitamins A, E and C needed for the eyes. When seasoned with oil, the fat-soluble vitamins A and E are better absorbed. You can also add boiled eggs to it: they contain both healthy carotenoids and fats. Also, don't forget to eat red fish: it contains zinc, which is also necessary for eye health.