Losing your vision is no joke. It’s the fastest way to lose independence as you age… you’ll lose your driver’s license… have trouble getting around… things that were once easy will become a struggle.
And one of the most devastating eye conditions today is age-related macular degeneration, or AMD. It’s the leading cause of blindness in people over 60 years of age.
But it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years of damage to your macula.
Maybe you never wore protective sunglasses outside. Maybe you have an adrenal condition which prevents your pupils from shrinking as they should in bright light. And maybe you’ve never seen a carrot, tomato or colorful berry or pepper you were willing to eat.
Over time, these seemingly small factors can add up.
When AMD takes hold, the cells in your eyes begin to break down. Central vision starts to blur. Seeing clearly in dim light becomes difficult. Objects right in front of you may look fuzzy, hazy, or distorted.
As AMD progresses to more advanced stages, everyday tasks – like reading, driving, or recognizing faces – can become increasingly challenging.
The good news? What you do today – especially how you nourish and protect your eyes – can help support lifelong vision.
🥗Mediterranean Diet Protects Your Vision
One of the best ways to protect your eyesight is through the foods you eat. That’s why I take a trip to Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s grocery store every week to fill two or three bags with my favorite plant-based foods.
After all, Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
While no single diet is perfect for everyone, the number one diet I recommend with the most benefit for the most people is the Mediterranean way of eating.
It’s good for your heart, helps protect your brain against memory loss, is diabetes-friendly, and great for your waistline.
But I’ll bet you didn’t know eating like a Mediterranean can also cut your risk of AMD by more than one-third.
Why the magic?
Well, a Mediterranean diet is filled with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables – loaded with vitamins A, C and E, along with protective carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin.
These antioxidants all work in synergy to protect your eyes. That’s because they work together to cut down on free radicals and inflammation that damage your macula.
Both free radicals and inflammation contribute to “drusens” – or deposits that occur when fats, proteins and cellular waste collect under your retina. And drusens greatly increase your chances of AMD.
So, if you want to feed your eyes, add more fresh fruits and veggies to your diet. And be sure to choose ones from the whole rainbow (the more colors the better!) Eye-friendly fruits include organic oranges, mangoes, cherries, cantaloupe and berries.
It’s also a good idea to give your eyes a boost with some dark leafy greens.
Organic kale, turnip greens, collards, spinach and chard can all boost your levels of lutein and zeaxanthin – the two most abundant antioxidants in your macula. Plus, higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin protect against drusens and leaky blood vessels behind the macula.
Add in some tomatoes, rutabagas, squash, avocadoes, sweet potatoes and other veggies to boost levels of other plant-based antioxidants to support your peepers.
👀More Food for Your Starving Eyes
After you’ve raided the produce corner of the market, you’ll find more eye-saving nutrients in the meat department.
Omega-3-rich fish are another staple of the Mediterranean diet. For instance, people who eat the highest levels of fatty fish can cut their risk of AMD by about 30%. And other fish can slash your chances of developing late-stage AMD even further… by up to about 40%.
Some of the best sources of omega-3-rich fish include wild Alaskan salmon, halibut, mackerel, sardines and herring.
And finally, foods high in zinc are protective to your eye health, especially when combined with the antioxidants in the other foods we’ve talked about.
In the Mediterranean diet, zinc-rich foods include sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, lentils, cashews, and other seeds. However, meats – specifically grass-fed lamb – also contain zinc.
Taken all together, this makes a Mediterranean style diet the perfect way to protect your precious vision.
To be on the safe side, you can also supplement with a top-quality eye formula. And it should contain a heck of a lot more than a little lutein and zeaxanthin.
In addition to these two antioxidants, make sure it also includes zinc and omega-3 fatty acids along with other eye-supporting nutrients like vitamins A, C and E.
Remember, your eyes are your key to independence. Start safeguarding them now, so you can maintain your freedom and activity in the years to come.
SOURCES:
Marques-Couto P, Coelho-Costa I, Ferreira-da-Silva R, Andrade JP, Carneiro Â. Mediterranean Diet on Development and Progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients. 2025 Mar 15;17(6):1037.
Mediterranean Diet: Healthy Eating for Healthier Eyes. News Release. American Academy of Ophthalmology. Apr 2024.
de Koning-Backus APM, Buitendijk GHS, Kiefte-de Jong JC, Colijn JM, Hofman A, Vingerling JR, Haverkort EB, Franco OH, Klaver CCW. Intake of Vegetables, Fruit, and Fish is Beneficial for Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Am J Ophthalmol. 2019 Feb;198:70-79.
Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS/AREDS2): major findings. National Eye Institute. Last updated: October 22, 2025.
