Short sightedness and long sightedness are two of the most common refractory errors that are responsible for poor vision and defective eyesight. Recent studies have pointed towards the importance of food and diet in improving eyesight. Yoga on the other hand is beneficial in strengthening the ocular muscles which in turn improves vision.
Food for Eye Sight Improvement
It is known that certain Vitamins and Nutrients, namely Vitamin A is essential for efficient functioning of the eyes. Retinoids, chemical structures and pigments found in the retina of the eye comprise primarily of Vitamin A and hence the role of Vitamin A in improving vision is undisputed. Include foods that are rich in Vitamin A in your diet.
- Oranges, lettuce, tomato, cabbage and green pea contain Vitamin A
- Carrot is considered to be a rich source of Vitamin A. Intake of carrot juice is recommended for Vitamin A
- Organ meat and liver are rich sources of Vitamin A. Consuming these on regular basis, adequately supplies the essential vitamin to the body.However overconsumption of liver can often result in acute toxicity due to Vitamin A, hence don’t consume more than 100 grams of liver.
- Foods like spinach, soy, Milk cream, cheese, butter, etc are also rich in Vitamin A
Home Remedies for Eyesight
In addition to having a good diet, rich in vitamin A, there are certain home remedies that can be beneficial in the treatment of poor vision,
- Triphala herb is considered beneficial in treatment of poor vision. Mix it with water and consume it on daily basis. Alternatively it can also be soaked in water and use the water after filtering with a cheese cloth as an eyewash.
- A vegetable soup comprising of mixture of parsley juice, carrot juice and celery juice can also be very helpful. This mixture is a good source of vitamin A and is beneficial in improving vision
- Add Licorice Root to a glass of warm milk and add one teaspoon of honey to eat and drink the liquid. This mixture is also helpful in improving bad eyesight.
Yoga for Eyesight Improvement
One of the most effective yogic exercises to improve vision is the “trataka” or the yogic glazing. Though there is a wide range to techniques to do this exercise, the simplest is to just gaze constantly at any object of choice. The object can be a candle light, green grass or leaves of trees, the moon, clear water in the lake, etc.
As per scriptures, this technique was primarily designed to help in the process of meditation; however, constantly focusing on a particular object helps improve vision by strengthening the ocular muscles and helping the ocular system including the pupils and the lens to improve focus.