Vitamin A is good for the eyes, confirms expert
Precursors to the nutrient are available in carrots, bell peppers and more
IN THE NEWS: If you’ve ever been told to eat your carrots for good eyesight, it was good advice.
Philip D. Kiser, PharmD, PhD, an associate professor in the UC Irvine School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology, spoke to VeryWell Health about how vitamin A-rich foods contribute to stronger eyesight.
“If a person is deficient in vitamin A, their vision, especially their ability to see in dim light, will be impaired. In this case, vitamin A supplementation would help restore normal visual function.”
It doesn’t occur naturally in the body, however.
"Humans can't synthesize vitamin A from scratch. Instead, we get it from our diet in two different forms: Pre-formed vitamin A, which is naturally found in animal-derived foods or fortified into some foods like milk and cereal and molecules that are precursors to vitamin A ... like beta-carotene."
Beyond carrots, other good sources of beta-carotene include bell peppers, cantaloupe, dark leafy greens and sweet potatoes.
Kiser is also an associate professor in the UC Irvine School of Medicine Department of Physiology & Biophysics, and the Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice at the UC Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences.
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