Everybody knows that carrots are good and important for eye health because they provide vitamin A. But how does it work exactly? What happens when you don't get enough vitamin A?
Carrots contain beta-carotene, which is a provitamin A. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A when needed.
Beta-carotene is crucial for eye health in three ways:
1) Night Vision. The retina contains two major kinds of photoreceptor cells: rods, which process vision in low-light conditions; cones, which process colours and day-time vision. Rods require a molecule called rhodopsin to process light signals, and its regeneration requires vitamin A. When vitamin A levels are low, rhodopsin regeneration slows down, and the eye struggles to adapt to darkness.
2) Dry Eye. The surface of the eye, including the conjunctiva and the cornea, contains epithelial cells, which must function normally for the surface of the eye to stay moist and smooth. Vitamin A regulates the genes that control the differentiation of epithelial cells. Vitamin A deficiency causes abnormal epithelial cell differentiation and makes the surface of the eye dry and rough. Vitamin A also regulates immune signalling and inflammatory cytokines; low vitamin A increases the risk of inflammation on the ocular surface, which contributes to dry eye.
3) Oxidative Stress. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that quenches free radicals, and in the retina it works synergistically with other antioxidants and carotenoids, like vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and zeaxanthin, to protect retinal cells against oxidative damage. In the AREDS clinical study, a nutritional formulation containing beta-carotene was found to slow down the progression of macular degeneration.
Beta-carotene is important not only for the eye but also for other parts of the body:
1) Immune System. Vitamin A maintains mucosal barriers and supports immune cells, helping to boost the body’s defence against pathogens.
2) Skin Health. Beta-carotene accumulates in the skin and through its antioxidant effects, it neutralises free radicals generated by UV radiation. Therefore, it increases the skin’s resilience to UV damage. It also helps to stabilise lipid membranes and support collagen health.
To ensure you get enough beta-carotene every day, you can take a supplement like Visor™. It contains 4.8mg of beta-carotene, which is roughly equivalent to the beta-carotene content of a carrot and satisfies 100% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin A.
It also contains 6 other antioxidants for eye health: bilberry extracts, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B2, lutein, and zeaxanthin. While beta-carotene deficiency impairs vision, lutein and zeaxanthin, two other carotenoids, actively improve visual function: they increase macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and enhance contrast sensitivity. They also filter high-energy blue light from LED screens, like biochemical sunscreens for your retina, and combat oxidative stress.
If you are already taking Clearer™, Visor™ provides additional essential nutrients for all-round vision defence and support, especially for people with long screen time and eyes struggling with visually demanding modern lifestyles. Like Clearer™, Visor™ contains no artificial fillers and uses ingredients in their most bioavailable forms.
You can take Clearer™ and Visor™ together every day, or take Visor™ only on days with longer screen time and extra eye strain.
Give your eyes the nutrients they need to keep your eyes comfortable and your vision sharp and clear.
Visor™ contains beta-carotene and is not suitable for people who smoke or have had heavy occupational asbestos exposure. Check your total intake from other supplements.
Filed under
Nutrition
