Certain nutrients — such as vitamins A, C, and E, antioxidants, and minerals — may help maintain eye function, protect your eyes against harmful light, and reduce the development of age-related degenerative diseases.

Your risk of developing an eye disease increases as you get older. The most common eye diseases include:

  • cataracts
  • diabetic retinopathy
  • dry eye syndrome
  • glaucoma
  • macular degeneration

Although your risk of developing these conditions may also depend on your genes, your diet may play a major role.

Vitamin A is essential for maintaining your eyes’ light-sensing cells, known as photoreceptors. If you don’t consume enough vitamin A, you may experience:

This depends on the severity of your deficiency, which is among the most common causes of vision loss in developing countries but rarely in the United States.

Only animal-derived foods contain the active form of vitamin A, retinol. The richest dietary sources include:

Your body can also convert certain antioxidant plant compounds, called provitamin A carotenoids, into retinol. Many fruits and vegetables contain these in high amounts.

Provitamin A carotenoids provide around 30% of people’s vitamin A requirements. The most efficient is beta-carotene, found in high amounts in:

Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoid antioxidants known as macular pigments. They’re concentrated in the macula, the central part of your retina.

Lutein and zeaxanthin function as natural sunblock for your eyes. They’re thought to play a central role in protecting your eyes against harmful blue light.

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) shows lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progressing to more advanced forms.

Lutein and zeaxanthin usually occur together in foods. Among the best sources are:

Egg yolks are considered one of the best sources of lutein and zeaxanthin due to their high fat content. Your body better absorbs carotenoids when eaten with healthy fats.

The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are important for eye health.

DHA is found in high amounts in your retina, where it may help maintain eye function. It’s also important for brain and eye development during infancy. A DHA deficiency can impair vision.

Research from 2023 shows that omega-3 supplements may benefit those with dry eye disease. EPA and DHA supplements significantly reduced dry eye symptoms by increasing the formation of tear fluid.

Recent studies, however, have mixed results. A 2024 randomized trial on the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on diabetic retinopathy found no significant difference between the supplement and placebo groups.

AREDS2 also found that omega-3 supplements don’t affect cataracts or AMD.

Evening primrose oil is rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid found in small amounts in the modern diet that may have anti-inflammatory properties.

Some evidence suggests that evening primrose oil may reduce the symptoms of dry eye disease.

Maintaining a proper omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is important. Research suggests a 4-to-1 ratio or less of omega-6s to omega-3s is sufficient. Your intake of omega-3s should be much greater than omega-6s.

The antioxidant vitamin C may be especially important for your eyes, although controlled studies on its role in eye health are lacking.

The concentration of vitamin C may be 20 times higher in a clear layer of fluid in your eye, called the aqueous humor, than in blood plasma.

The levels of vitamin C in the aqueous humor may be directly proportional to intravenous intake, according to a 2017 study. You can increase the concentration by taking supplements or eating foods rich in vitamin C.

While vitamin C may play a protective role in your eyes, clinical trials haven’t found evidence that it slows the progression of cataracts. High doses may accelerate their development.

High amounts of vitamin C are found in many fruits and vegetables, including:

Vitamin E protects fatty acids from harmful oxidation. Since your retina has a high concentration of fatty acids, adequate vitamin E intake is important for optimal eye health.

Although severe vitamin E deficiency may lead to retinal degeneration and blindness, it’s unclear whether supplements provide additional benefits if you already have enough in your diet.

One 2024 analysis suggests that regular vitamin E intake with vitamin B6 and niacin (vitamin B3) may reduce the risk of cataract development. The study, however, doesn’t specify whether participants consumed vitamin E from supplements or food.

AREDS/AREDS2 indicate that vitamin E may not slow or prevent the progression of cataracts.

The best dietary sources of vitamin E include:

Your eyes contain high levels of zinc. Zinc may also form visual pigments in your retina. A deficiency may lead to night blindness.

AREDS/AREDS2 concluded that taking AREDS or AREDS 2 supplements, which contain 80 mg of zinc, may reduce the risk of progression from intermediate to advanced AMD by about 25%. Further studies, however, are needed before drawing strong conclusions.

Dietary sources of zinc include:

Healthy lifestyle habits, such as following a nutritious diet and regular exercise, may help prevent many chronic diseases — including eye conditions.

Consuming enough vitamins A, C, and E, minerals like zinc, and antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin may also boost your eye health.

Don’t neglect the rest of your body. A diet that keeps your whole body healthy will likely keep your eyes healthy, too.