Does Junk Food Have an Impact on Eye Health?
We may all have heard that carrots are good for the eyes, but we seem to pay less attention to the food that may damage our vision and eye health. A balanced diet is crucial to overall fitness, but some foods might be especially harmful to our eyes.
It’s not hard to guess that lots of junk food are harmful to our eyes. It’s called junk food for a reason. But we often underestimate how harmful this kind of food can be. When we find that it leads to weight gain or other obvious symptoms, we naturally think it is harmful. Despite the lack of evident warning signs, junk food is still endangering your eye health.
Sugary drinks and sweets
In summer days, it’s very common to have a lot of iced sugary drinks or sweets, but you should pay attention to control your intake. All the sugar contained in them will make your blood sugar soar and then drop sharply.
The intake of a large amount of sugar will greatly increase your chances of developing diabetes or its complications, which can cause serious damage to your vision. A comprehensive eye exam once a year is a must and you can prevent or detect eye problems as early as possible.
But not all sugary foods will cause serious consequences. For example, fruits have a slower and more controllable effect on blood sugar levels, so they are not considered unhealthy even if most of them contain much sugar.
Salt
It’s well known that too much salt can lead to or exacerbate high blood pressure, which can damage your heart. In addition, it can even put your eyes at risk. The blood vessels in the eyes are very small and fragile as well as sensitive to pressure changes. If your blood pressure is too high for a long period, the pressure in your eyes will harm your retina and may even result in blindness.
High levels of salt are found in processed foods, especially processed red meat. Meat is rich in salt, and the process of preserving meat will only add more salt.
Fried foods
It’s acceptable to occasionally indulge in a feast of fried food, which can satisfy our desires for high-calorie food, but it is unhealthy to eat them every day. However, these delicious snacks and meals are fast and cheap, universally available at delis and markets, allowing you to fill up your stomach quickly and contentedly. Unfortunately, they will have a serious impact on your eye health.
These fried foods include much unhealthy fatty oil, which can increase your cholesterol levels, and be bad for your eyes. In fact, the oil in fried foods may even increase your odds of suffering macular degeneration and vision loss in days to come.
Protect your eyes
Developing a healthy lifestyle plays an important role in protecting the eyes, and healthy eating habits have a great impact on eye health. Try to replace some unhealthy food with nutritious one that is good for the eyes. Even if your eyes are healthy, your diet can also protect your eyesight for a certain time.