Having keen eyesight requires proper health care: Foods that improve vision and eye protection tips

3. To have discerning eyes, one needs to take good care of one's health.

Middle-aged men often use computers, watch TV, and read books excessively, which easily leads to eye strain. Symptoms of eye strain include blurred vision, eye pain, bloodshot eyes, seeing stars, tearing, and stinging. Sometimes, it can even cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, and stiff shoulders.

The eyes are often called the "windows to the soul"; only with healthy, bright eyes can a person appear truly vibrant. Of course, the greatest benefit of healthy eyes is that they allow us to see the world around us clearly, ensuring that our daily lives, work, and studies can proceed normally. Therefore, to have healthy, bright eyes, it's essential to take good care of them!

Foods that improve eyesight

Foods rich in Vitamin A. Vitamin A is closely related to normal vision. If the body lacks Vitamin A, the regeneration of rhodopsin will be slow and incomplete, dark adaptation time will be prolonged, and it may even lead to night blindness. Long-term deficiency of Vitamin A can lead to dry eye disease, which can further develop into corneal ulcers and keratomalacia, as well as Bitot's spots and corneal folds. Foods rich in Vitamin A include cod liver oil, various animal livers, poultry eggs, and fish roe; vegetables such as spinach, carrots, alfalfa, amaranth, pumpkin, green peppers, and red sweet potatoes contain provitamin A, which can be converted into Vitamin A after ingestion.

Foods rich in zinc. Zinc deficiency can lead to vision problems. Zinc is mainly distributed in the blood and bones. The iris, corneal epithelium, lens, and retina all contain zinc. In the eye, zinc plays a role in transporting and metabolizing vitamin A, maintaining the retinal pigment epithelium in a normal tissue state, and ensuring good vision over the long term. Foods rich in zinc include lean meat, animal liver (pork liver), beef, lamb, oysters, fish, egg yolks, beans, nuts, millet, radishes, and Chinese cabbage.

Foods rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps reduce the damage to the lens of the eye caused by oxygen and light, thus preventing the development of cataracts. Foods rich in Vitamin C include fresh fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, hawthorn berries, kiwifruit, and lemons.

Foods rich in chromium. Chromium deficiency can lead to nearsightedness. Chromium activates insulin, allowing it to exert its biological effects. A lack of chromium can impair insulin's ability to regulate blood sugar, increasing plasma osmotic pressure, which in turn increases refractive power and the osmotic pressure of the aqueous humor and lens, thus causing nearsightedness. Chromium is mostly found in wheat bran and brown rice, and is also relatively abundant in nuts, grape juice, and animal liver.

Pearls contain small amounts of minerals such as aluminum oxide and magnesium oxide, as well as more than 95% calcium carbonate. They are also rich in amino acids such as methionine, leucine, glycine, alanine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid. Pearls are sweet, salty, and cold in nature. "Pearl powder," made from pearl powder, amber, borneol, and other ingredients, has a strong inhibitory effect on the formation of cataracts.

Foods rich in calcium. Calcium plays a significant role in the structure of the eyeball, and calcium deficiency can cause nearsightedness. As people reach middle age, calcium is constantly being lost. If it is not adequately replenished during this period, it will reduce the elasticity of the sclera (the wall of the eyeball), causing an increase in intraocular pressure. This elongates the anteroposterior diameter of the eyeball, leading to nearsightedness. Foods rich in calcium include shellfish (shrimp), dairy products, beans and bean products, bone meal, dark green vegetables, and egg yolks.

Tips for protecting your eyes when using a computer

Pay attention to keeping your skin clean. The skin on your hands and face should be kept clean at all times. The surface of a computer screen always has a lot of static electricity, and the dust that accumulates on it can easily be transferred to the exposed skin of the operator's hands and face. If you don't pay attention to cleaning, over time, it will cause pigmentation, rashes, and even skin cancer, which will have a very serious impact on your physical and mental health.

Pay attention to developing good hygiene habits. Try to eat less while using the computer, and even when not using the computer, try to eat less in the office, otherwise you are prone to indigestion or gastritis. Wash your hands promptly after stopping computer use to avoid contracting infectious diseases.

Pay attention to balancing work and rest. After using the computer for one hour, you should take a 10-minute break. It is best not to rest in the office. You can go outside to move your torso and limbs, do some calisthenics, take a walk, or move your head (many middle-aged and elderly people suffer from neck pain, and head movements are very helpful in improving neck health) and do eye exercises in the office.

Pay attention to correct posture. A proper sitting posture is crucial when using a computer. The standard posture is that your chest and the center of the computer screen should be at the same level, and the distance between the screen and your eyes should not be less than 50 centimeters. Ideally, the chair should be height-adjustable. During operation, you should frequently close your eyes to rest or blink to improve and adjust your vision, preventing vision loss.

Take care to protect your eyesight. In addition to eating foods rich in vitamin A and taking regular breaks, it's also important to do eye exercises regularly, look into the distance periodically, and get enough sleep to protect your vision.

Pay attention to your work environment. The office should have adequate lighting, neither too dim nor too bright, and direct sunlight should be avoided from shining directly onto the screen to prevent glare. Indoor microorganisms and dust should be removed promptly. Mops and damp cloths used for cleaning should ideally be washed with warm water. Disinfecting air filters is also important, and airflow should be appropriate. Windows should be opened frequently. If using a computer at home, install a protective screen and wear anti-radiation glasses to minimize the harmful effects of the computer on your health.

Tips for using your eyes

① Apply hot and cold compresses to the eyes alternately. Use a cold compress when the eyes are congested; wring out the hot compress before applying it. ② Look into the distance as much as possible to relax the eye muscles. ③ Gently and slowly press the eyelids to promote blood circulation in the eyes. ④ Use your fingers to apply a small amount of salt water to the area around the eye sockets and then rinse with water. Repeat this process to keep the skin around the eyes clean.

Consuming more kelp is also very beneficial for the eyes of middle-aged men. Kelp is not only rich in iodine, but also contains one-third mannitol. If you observe carefully, you will find that the surface of dried kelp always has a thick layer of "white frost," which is mannitol. Mannitol has excellent diuretic and dehumidifying effects, can relieve intraocular pressure, and has a good therapeutic effect on glaucoma. Other seaweeds such as wakame have the same effects.