The next time you are frustratingly rearranging your glasses frames on the bridge of your nose, or hunting through the house from top to bottom for the elusive pair of prescription glasses that magically seem to disappear every time you leave them on their own, spare a thought for a piece of advice your mother gave you when she was attempting to attract you to the joys of Carrots.

"Eating carrots gives you better sight and help you see in the dark"

Its one of those mythical legends that has been passed down the generations which we usually tend to pass off as nonsense once we have attended one too many biology classes, but there is in fact an enormous amount of truth and benefits in the good old carrot.

Carrot diet = no need for prescription glasses yes?

No. True you are not going to gain super human sight if you eat carrots for breakfast dinner and tea - carrots do not actually improve your sight but they can prevent degeneration in your eye sight. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A (an important anti-oxidant) which is the body’s essential nutrient for maintaining proper vision and promoting good eyesight.

As well as that a deficiency in Vitamin A can lead to night blindness. An extreme deficiency can even cause blindness. It is a sad fact that Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of blindness in the Third World. However, if you're not deficient in vitamin A, your vision won't improve no matter how many carrots or other beta-carotene-rich fruits and vegetables you eat.

Natural eyesight degeneration

The United States National Eye Institute made varied studies to clarify whether a nutritious diet can aid eye health. Their results quite clearly show that by introducing and consuming certain foods provides good eye health and prevents on-going degeneration and could reduce the ultimate need for prescription glasses.

The studies found eating foods rich in caratonoids (such as carrots) reduced the risk of developing AMD (age-related macular degeneration). Other vegetables rich in carotenoids are collard greens, Kale and Spinach.

Studies have also shown high diets of lutein and zeaxanthin (found in broccoli, peas, lettuce, turnip and Kale. Lutein can also be found in egg yolks) were less likely to develop or need cataract surgery.

It is also well-known (your mother is probably aware if you ask her) from previous tests that blueberries can reduce eye fatigue. Bilberries also improves the blood supply to the eyes. The most efficient nutrient for the optic nerve is Omega 3. This is found in cold water fish such as cod, sardines, salmon, haddock and tuna. It is an amazing fact that Eskimos have almost no incidence of open-angle glaucoma due to there heavy reliance on cold water fish in their diets.

I wish my mother had known more about blueberries, bilberries and Eskimos when I was in primary school. It may have made the carrots go down a little bit easier and I may not be sitting here now wondering whether my glasses frames are in tune with the latest designer fashions.