Myth or fact: The connection between carrots and good eyesight dates back to World War II. Even today, doctors still recommend eating yellow and orange fruits to maintain eye health.
Carrots are rich in nutrients that have been shown to benefit the eyes and help maintain eye health. However, there are several other assumptions common in the world about carrots and their supposed miraculous benefits.
Some people believe that carrots can treat eye disorders such as nearsightedness and farsightedness, reduce eye strength, and even help see clearly at night. Today, we find out whether there is any science behind these beliefs.
Read on to find out whether the idea that eating carrots can improve eyesight is a myth or fact. But first, you should know the causes of weak eyesight.
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What are the causes of poor eyesight?
Image source: Health care factors
There are many causes of poor vision; some are congenital, hereditary, or related to trauma and poor nutrition. The most common causes of poor vision are refractive errors such as nearsightedness (nearsightedness) and farsightedness (hypermetropia).
These disorders often develop at an early age, and the scientific community has not been able to reach a general consensus on their exact origin. But they mostly run in the family.
Nearsightedness occurs because the eyeball is elongated. This can happen due to genetic factors, prolonged screen use or poor nutrition. Nearsighted patients have difficulty seeing distant objects.
On the other hand, farsightedness occurs when the eye is shorter than normal or the cornea is not curved evenly. This leads to difficulty viewing close objects.
Some children escape these vision problems during puberty as eye shape changes, while others continue to suffer from them throughout their lives.
Other eye disorders such as glaucoma and cataracts are largely age-related and will inevitably occur in almost everyone. Diabetes, astigmatism and dry eyes are also leading causes of vision loss in humans.
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Carrots: Nutritional value and benefits
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Carrots are rich in antioxidants, fiber and vitamin A, all of which are very beneficial nutrients. Vitamin A is known to aid vision, and its deficiency leads to night blindness, a condition that makes it difficult for people to see in the dark.
Carrots also contain antioxidants like beta-carotene and lutein that help prevent eye damage caused by free radicals, unstable molecules that are byproducts of cellular metabolism and cause damage to molecules. another death.
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a pigment that gives fruits and vegetables their color. Beta carotene is a precursor to vitamin A and is needed to maintain cellular health and vision.
Carrots, especially yellow carrots, also contain lutein, an antioxidant that helps prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Other benefits of consuming carrots regularly include good digestion and heart health thanks to their fiber content.
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Where did the belief that carrots improve eyesight come from?
The idea that carrots are a magical food that grants almost supernatural vision to humans originated during World War II. Times are tough and much of Europe is struggling with food shortages. In a propaganda campaign, the British government advocated eating carrots to help see better in the dark, which was especially important because the Germans regularly bombed England, causing citywide blackouts. In the absence of grains and meat, people are advised to grow and consume vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes and carrots. Over time, the theory grew that carrots help improve eyesight. Today, it is taught in textbooks as a fact.
Image source: US National Archives
What does science say about carrots and the connection between good eyesight?
According to science, there is no specific link between carrots and improved eyesight. Sure, carrots are rich in vitamin A and antioxidants that help prevent eye diseases and maintain overall health, but this vegetable doesn’t do much to improve eyesight.
You can eat all the carrots you like, even more than rabbits, but it won’t do any better for your eyes if you already have diseases like glaucoma, nearsightedness or diabetes. The only eye problem that carrots will improve is night blindness. And even then, leafy greens and sweet potatoes have significantly more beta-carotene and dairy foods have more vitamin A than carrots.
Here are some things that actually help improve vision, according to reputable scientists and ophthalmologists.
- Regularly expose yourself to natural light, especially in the early morning.
- Low screen time
- Maintain a nutritious diet and optimal weight
- Abstain from smoking and drinking alcohol
- Eye exercises
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In short
Carrots are vegetables with high nutritional content that bring many benefits to human health. However, improving eyesight is not one of them. There is no doubt that carrots are good for the eyes. They are rich in nutrients that promote eye health and prevent disease, but that fact has nothing to do with improving vision or treating disease.
Prevention is one thing and treatment is another. Unfortunately, people seem to misunderstand the concept of carrots being “good for the eyes” as “improving vision.” The abundant vitamin A content in carrots will help prevent you from going completely blind in the dark rather than helping you see clearly at night. Therefore, we can conclude that the belief that eating carrots can improve eyesight is false.
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Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: pagasa.edu.vn