Most readers have heard that carrots are good for improving your vision, particularly night vision. What is not known is that while carrots are part of the recommended foods for good eye health this particular recommendation was part of the British government’s WWII propaganda that the Royal Air Force ate carrots to see better in the dark and shoot down the Nazis bombing England. In truth they had onboard aircraft interception radar that could help them pinpoint the enemy bombers.
Today we are not protecting ourselves from enemy bombers but against the impact of the excessive screen time on children’s health, primarily their eye health. Some of the social concerns about the impact of screen time is the linkage to worse executive functioning and lower academic performance. It can also hinder meaningful interactions between children and their caregivers, resulting in delayed social, emotional, and language development.
One overlooked problem area is eye health, computer vision syndrome, is increasingly common among children and adults. The American Optometric Association reports that as little as 2 hours of uninterrupted screen time can trigger symptoms of digital eyestrain, such as tired eyes, headaches, blurred vision and dryness. While prolonged screen time doesn't directly cause myopia (nearsightedness), excessive close-up work, including screen time, and reduced outdoor time, which are often associated with more screen time, can contribute to its development, especially in children.
While families should be educated on the effects of screen time on eye health they should also know the effects of nutrition on eye health. Colleen Sloan, RDN, in Contemporary Pediatrics describes the nutrients that have been shown to support eye health and reduce future problems. She describes the different classes of nutrients that are important.
Omega -3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation of the eye’s surface and potentially “dry” eye symptoms. Good sources include salmon, mackerel, sardines, as well as nuts, seeds, flaxseed, and chia seeds.
Flavonoids, found in plants, may improve the function of retinal ganglion cells (critical for processing visual information). They may be found in apples, berries, cherries, soybeans, dark chocolate, and citrus fruits.
Carotenoids, particularly lutein and zeaxanthin, are essential for maintaining retinal health and promoting central visual acuity. They must be obtain through diet. Foods rich in carotenoids are spinach, kale, broccoli, peas, parsley, corn, and egg yolks.
Three vitamins (A, C, and E) are antioxidants which help remove potentially damaging oxidizing agents. Oxidation is a natural process that can lead to cell aging and death. Vitamin A can be found in egg yolks, dairy, liver, spinach and other dark greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe and red bell pepper. Vitamin C is felt to prevent age-related cataracts. It is found in broccoli, strawberry, kiwi, red bell pepper on oranges. Vitamin E is important for overall eye health and is found in nuts and seeds, especially sunflower seeds, spinach, pumpkin, broccoli and kiwi.
Remember that excessive vitamins can be toxic. Turn off devices, limit screen time, and eat healthy food.
by Sally Robinson, MD Clinical Professor
Keeping Kids Healthy
Published 04/2025