Chocolate Dips

Every food has a good or bad effect on the body. Some foods help us maintain healthy bodies while others give us energy or help our mood. Did you know that certain foods, including dark chocolate, can also help your eyesight?

Dark Chocolate

In moderation (the tricky part!), dark chocolate can help to improve your eyesight drastically. The flavanoids in the chocolate help to protect the blood vessels in your eyes, thus strengthening your cornea and lens. However, make sure that you eat only pure chocolate and that it contains at least 60% cacao extracts in order to reap all the benefits. Most candy bars only contain 20% cacao extracts. The phenols in dark chocolate not only help to improve your eyesight but they also calm you, help you feel better and sleep more soundly. It may even improve your memory and reduce your blood pressure because of its low glycemic index. Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. However, while most people like to enjoy a glass of milk with their chocolate, doing so will actually prevent the body from absorbing the antioxidants.

Some people like to eat pieces of dark chocolate with a glass of red wine, also proven to help maintain a healthy heart and good vision. Consume these in moderation, but know that while you are doing so, you won’t have to feel guilty about eating dark chocolate any longer!

Vegetables

Most leafy greens contain high levels of lutein, an antioxidant, and zeaxanthin, both of which are essential to protect your eyes from degeneration. Cabbage, squash, collard greens and sweet potatoes are just a few vegetables you should consume regularly in order to promote better eye health. Carrots have high levels of vitamin A and beta-carotene, making them one of the best vegetables to eat in order to protect your vision. Spinach and kale have a substance called lutein in them and help to protect against various age-related eye diseases such as cataracts and problems with eyesight. Broccoli also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which have been known to help relieve the eyes from damage caused by free radicals.

Fruits

Some people tend to prefer fruits over vegetables so make sure you eat plums, blueberries, lemons, grapefruit, and grapes. Most berries are rich in antioxidants and bilberries also contain anthocyanosides, which may help you reduce your chances of developing poor vision further down the road. The vitamin A in apricots can help you to see better and also help the eyes to repair themselves from free radical damage. Apricots can also help you promote better eyesight because of the amount of carotenoids found in them.

Other Foods

Olive oil, fish oils, almonds, milk and pumpkins are among the other foods you should consume to improve your eyesight. Salmon is one of the most popular choices because the omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and D boost your brainpower as well as improve your eyesight. Egg yolks contain B-vitamins, zinc, lutein and other necessary fatty acids that are required for good eye health.

Sara Roberts is a content contributor for Just Eyewear, a prescription eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses retailer.