A good diet is all you need to keep your eyes fit and healthy. Below is DAB’s quick guide to the essential vitamins and foods to protect and strengthen your eyes.

Vitamin A is helpful for many types of eye problems including poor vision in dim light or at night. Good food sources are: fish liver oil, liver, carrots, egg, cheese, butter, margarine, milk, green vegetables and yellow and orange fruits. Vitamin A also moistens the eyes which can enhance visual acuity. It also has been shown to prevent the forming of cataracts and macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness.

Berries contain natural plant chemicals called flavonoids that play an important part in the protection of the most sensitive areas of the eye.

Tuna and other oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel, are rich in omega-3 which research has shown to protect the macula lutea - the area of the eye affected by macular degeneration. Studies have suggested that eating fish three times a week can reduce the risk of developing the age related disease by up to 50%.

Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) which is essential for healthy eyes.

Carrots contain high levels of vitamin A (one medium sized carrot provides up to ten times the RDA) which protects the eyes and enables them to function effectively.