We can name three crucial benefits that carrots have in the prevention and treatment of eye disorders:
Preventing Night Blindness
Vitamin A helps you see well in the dark. Your retina (the layer of light-sensitive cells at the back of your eye) contains large amounts of Vitamin A, especially in the tiny structures called rods that are used for night vision. If you don’t get enough Vitamin A, you develop night blindness—you can’t see well in the dark or in dim light. We all lose a little of our night vision as we grow older, but Vitamin A can help slow or even prevent the loss. If you’ve noticed that you don’t see as well at night as you used to, see your eye doctor to rule out other eye problems. If your eyes are OK otherwise, extra Vitamin A or beta carotene might help. Discuss the right amount with your doctor before you try it.
Preventing Cataracts
A cataract forms when the lens of your eye becomes cloudy, reducing or even blocking completely the amount of light that enters your eye. At one time cataracts were a leading cause of blindness, but today simple outpatient surgery can fix the problem. But wouldn’t it be better if a cataract never developed in the first place? There’s solid evidence that a diet rich in carotenoids, especially beta carotene, helps prevent cataracts by mopping up free radicals before they can damage the lens.
Preserving Eyesight
Vitamin A helps prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Your macula is a tiny cluster of very sensitive cells in the center of your retina. It’s essential for sharp vision. As you grow older, your macula may start to degenerate, causing vision loss and eventual blindness. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in people over 65, and about 30 percent of Americans over 75 suffer from it.
What about the other 70 percent? It’s likely they eat more foods that are high in beta carotene.According to one study, eating just one serving a day of a food high in beta carotene could reduce your chances of AMD by 40 percent.
