It’s common knowledge that eating healthy is good for your body as a whole, but you might not know that the opposite, eating poorly, can hurt your eyesight. What you eat, how you cook it, and how much you eat can all affect your risk of developing eye diseases.
Excessive consumption of the following foods may damage eye health.
1. Saturated and trans-fat-rich foods
Trans fat is a type of unhealthy fat. To make it, hydrogen is added to liquid oils, which causes them to solidify. Trans fats are commonly found in processed foods.
Foods are enhanced with these fats to increase their appeal and preserve them for longer. However, while both types of fat increase LDL “bad” cholesterol, they also significantly lower HDL “good” cholesterol. Heart disease and blocked arteries have both been linked to these lipids.
The body is unable to absorb the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids when these fats are present. These lipids help protect the macula and the cornea from drying out. Your baby’s eyes will develop more normally with the help of these fatty acids.
2. Salty foods.
Consuming an excessive amount of salty foods can lead to hypertension. High blood pressure reduces the amount of blood that can flow to the eyes, which can cause several vision problems and reduce the quality of your eyesight. Under-eye bags, for instance, have been linked to a high-sodium diet.
Your stomach may feel like it’s bleeding after eating something salty. Consuming an excessive amount of salt can also cause your eyes to swell. Sauces, salad dressings, pickles, cheeses, quick soups, canned vegetables, and table salt all have a high sodium content.
3. Consuming a lot of sugar and starch-rich foods
Consuming a diet high in sugar or starch may increase your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration is a degenerative eye disease that damages the retina and can cause blindness.
Cataracts and glaucoma are two eye diseases that can be exacerbated by a diet high in sugar and other carbohydrates. Consuming sugar in moderation allows our bodies to quickly metabolize carbohydrates. When we consume excessive amounts of sugar, our bodies react by releasing large quantities of insulin. An excess of insulin is harmful to the body. When our blood vessels are injured or irritated, it can lead to a variety of health problems.
4. Caffeine.
Recently, exfoliation glaucoma has been linked to caffeine consumption. Consuming three or more cups of caffeinated beverages daily has been linked to exfoliation glaucoma, according to research published in Investigative Opthalmology and Visual Science.
Blindness is a long-term consequence of this type of glaucoma. We don’t recommend going cold turkey on caffeine, but moderation is key. Caffeine can be found in many different foods and drinks, but the most common ones are coffee, tea, and soda.
