Take Vitamins For Your Eyes? Really?

Elmer Fudd made a career out of "wabbit" hunting, usually targeting Bugs Bunny. Bugs always saw Elmer Fudd coming for him, and he may have owed it all to his carrots.

It's been a cliche for ages that eating carrots is good for your eyes. While people a hundred years ago had the right idea, they didn't know why. We, however, know the answer.

Vitamin A.

Carrots are a fantastic natural source of vitamin A, and this vitamin has been directly linked to the health of your eyes. Vitamin A is also referred to by some as "retinol" due to its role in forming the pigments of your retina. Of course, carrots aren't your only option for a natural source of this, as vitamin A is found in fish, eggs and dairy products. Vitamin A is classified as a "fat-soluble" vitamin, meaning that it is absorbed by your body. This means it's not a good idea to take too much vitamin A, as any excess is not easily secreted from your system.

Even though ol' Bugs never had much of a variety in his diet, there are other vitamins that have been found to be linked to good eye health. In addition to vitamin A, you should also consider:

• Vitamin C has been shown to contribute to clarity of vision, and also helps with the overall health of your eye's lens.
• Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, helps prevent damage to your eye, and has been shown in studies to help prevent cataracts.
• An antioxidant combination including Vitamins C and E along with beta carotene and zinc can help reduce the risk of vision loss due to macular degeneration.
• Lutein is a form of vitamin A that has been proven to greatly reduce your risk of cataracts and other eye-damaging conditions.

This is definitely a case of being able to have too much of a good thing, however. Overdoses of some of these vitamins can lead to various health problems, so it's best to stick to the recommended daily allowances of each of these to avoid any vitamin-inflicted health problems.

You'll get many of the vitamins and nutrients your eyes need as part of a balanced diet, but sometimes supplements can help fill in the gaps. Again, don't overdo it, but make sure you get at least the proper amount of supplements to help keep your eyes in good shape...you never know when Elmer might come looking for you.

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