Do you find that your eyes are not as good as they used to be? Does it take some focusing to read the small print, or thread a needle? Unfortunately, our eyesight deteriorates as we age. It’s very important for people to take care of their eyes, and we can slow eye deterioration by doing some things like; wearing sunglasses regularly, taking a break from the computer screen, getting enough sleep each night, taking a multivitamin, exercising the eye, and taking an antioxidant for eye health.

There are some powerful natural herbs that help with eye health. Eyebright is one of a few select plants that specifically help the eyes. This plant grows in grasslands and woods in North America, Europe and Asia. Eyebright extract taken internally is not only good for the eye, but has been known to affect the liver among other organs in such a way as to cleanse the blood supply to the eyes.

Bilberry is another herb with powerful antioxidants that prevent free radical damage. In research, the most promising studies showed that it improved night time vision, with quicker adjustment to darkness and faster restoration of vision after exposure to glare.

Further studies showed that bilberry extract also helps those with day blindness(the inability to see properly in bright light).

A team of French scientists confirmed in 1964 that bilberry showed improvement for the first four hours after a single dose, and wore off completely within 24 hours. Other research showed that bilberry extract helped for more serious ailments like glaucoma and diabetes.

But for the most part, most of us can benefit from this herb, especially if we suffer from eye strain or visual disorders.

Another herb called Lutein, which is a carotenoid, is preferred for eye health. It is naturally present in the macula and the lens of the eye where it prevents photo-oxidation. Macular degeneration and cataract formation are major eye problems in an aging world. Taking additional lutein may inhibit these eye disorders.

A study done on 50,000 women was done over 8 years. Those who had five servings of lutein-rich spinach per week had a 50 per cent lower incidence of cataracts, and macular degeneration.

Fruits and vegetables have flavanoids, and have been researched for many years because they are recognized as potent antioxidants and are powerful free radical scavengers. These can be found in blueberries, cranberries, elderberry, grape, raspberry, strawberry and also biberry.

It’s not just fruits that are beneficial, but vegetables are great too. We’ve all heard that carrots are good for the eyes. This was proven true because rich carrots provide the vitamin A which is essential to the eyes.

So getting a good dose of daily fruits and vegetables is essential, not only for your overall health, but for helping to see the world through healthy eyes.