We’ve all heard it before: “Eat your carrots, they’re good for your eyes!”. Are carrots truly able to improve eyesight? Is there any truth to this statement, or is that the stuff of fiction? Have a look!

The main claim you’ve probably heard about carrots before is that they can vastly enhance your night vision. And there is a nucleus of truth in that – Our bodies use the beta carotenes in carrots to produce vitamin A, which is essential for good eye health. Vitamin A allows our eyes to convert light into the signal that transmits images to our brains that allows people to see in conditions of low light.

Old War Tales:

These orange root vegetables were not associated with strong eyesight until centuries later during World War II. The British Royal Air Force wove a fabricated tale about skilled fighter pilot John “Cats’ Eyes” Cunningham, saying that he attributed his excellent night vision to a steady diet of carrots.

Soon, it was mandated that everyone should eat carrots so they could see better during the mandatory blackouts, but this was mere propaganda. The Royal Air Force was actually utilizing radar to locate German bombers before they reached the English Channel.

British Intelligence didn’t want the Germans to find out about the superior new technology helping protect the nation, so they created a rumor to afford a somewhat plausible-sounding explanation for the sudden increase in bombers being shot down.

The disinformation was so persuasive that the English public took to eating carrots to help them find their way during the blackouts.

What Carrots Can Do For Your Eyes:

Although it cannot restore vision loss or make any structural changes to the eye, the carrot is beneficial for overall vision health. Lack of vitamin A can also lead to:

• Cataracts
• Macular degeneration
• Xerophthalmia (a disease which is characterized by dry eyes, swollen eyelids, and corneal ulcers)

Carrots contain lutein, an important antioxidant. Lutein-rich foods are known to increase the density of pigment in the macula, the yellow-shaped oval area in the center of the retina. As pigment density increases, the retina is protected more and the risk for macular degeneration decreases.