Partly. Carrots are rich in beta carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A, and vitamin A is essential for vision, especially seeing in dim light. If you’re short of vitamin A, eating carrots and other sources helps your eyes work properly again. But if you already get enough, which most people in high-income countries do, eating extra carrots won’t sharpen your eyesight or let you see in the dark. For long-term eye health, a diet rich in leafy greens, colorful vegetables and fish, along with not smoking and regular eye tests, matters more than any single food.
Where the carrot myth comes from
Carrots have long had a reputation for improving eyesight. The idea became especially popular in Britain during the Second World War, when the government encouraged people to eat more home-grown vegetables, and stories credited the success of night-flying pilots to carrots. The story is often said to have helped hide the use of new radar technology. Whatever its origins, the idea stuck, and it has some truth in it, just not as much as the legend suggests.
How vitamin A helps your eyes
Your retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye, uses a form of vitamin A to make rhodopsin, a pigment that lets you see in low light. Vitamin A also keeps the surface of the eye, the cornea, moist and healthy.
When people don’t get enough vitamin A, one of the first signs is night blindness, difficulty seeing in low light, according to the World Health Organization. Severe deficiency damages the cornea and can cause blindness. It mainly affects young children and pregnant women in low-income countries, where vitamin A deficiency is still a leading cause of preventable blindness in children.
So carrots really can restore vision in someone who’s deficient. In people who already have enough vitamin A, the body simply stores or converts less of it, and vision doesn’t improve.
Carrot nutrition
Per 100 g (3½ oz), from USDA FoodData Central:
| Nutrient | Raw carrots | Boiled carrots |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 41 kcal | 35 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 9.6 g | 8.2 g |
| Fiber | 2.8 g | 3 g |
| Sugars | 4.7 g | 3.5 g |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 835 mcg | 852 mcg |
| Beta carotene | 8,280 mcg | 8,330 mcg |
| Lutein and zeaxanthin | 256 mcg | 687 mcg |
| Potassium | 320 mg | 235 mg |
| Vitamin K | 13.2 mcg | 13.7 mcg |
A medium carrot (about 61 g) provides around 510 mcg of vitamin A, more than half the US Daily Value of 900 mcg. The NHS says adults need 700 mcg a day for men and 600 mcg a day for women, and that you should be able to get all you need from your diet.
Raw or cooked: which is better for your eyes?
Cooking softens carrots’ cell walls and makes beta carotene easier to absorb. In the USDA data, boiled carrots keep their beta carotene and show higher measured levels of lutein and zeaxanthin.
Beta carotene is fat-soluble, so eating carrots with a little fat helps too. In a small study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people absorbed far more carotenoids from a salad with a full-fat dressing than with a fat-free one. Roasting carrots in olive oil, adding them to a stew, or dipping raw carrots in hummus all work well.
Foods that matter more for eye health
Your eyes need more than vitamin A. Lutein and zeaxanthin are pigments that collect in the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp central vision, where they help filter blue light. Carrots contain only small amounts. Much better sources include:
| Food (per 100 g) | Lutein and zeaxanthin |
|---|---|
| Raw spinach | 12,200 mcg |
| Raw kale | 6,260 mcg |
| Raw egg yolk | 1,090 mcg |
| Raw sweet corn | 644 mcg |
| Raw carrots | 256 mcg |
Our guide to spinach nutrition covers the best source. Other foods that support eye health include:
- Orange vegetables: sweet potatoes, squash and peppers, for beta carotene.
- Oily fish: salmon, sardines and mackerel provide omega-3 fats, which are part of the retina. Our guide to omega-3 foods lists the best sources.
- Citrus fruit, berries and kiwi: for vitamin C. Our list of vitamin C foods has more.
- Nuts and seeds: for vitamin E.
- Beans, lentils and meat: for zinc.
Supplements for macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common cause of sight loss in older adults. The US National Eye Institute explains that the AREDS studies have shown that a specific mix of vitamins and minerals can slow the progression of intermediate AMD to advanced AMD. This supplement is meant for people already diagnosed with AMD, not as a way to prevent eye disease in people with healthy eyes.
The original formula included beta carotene. In the second trial, AREDS2, lutein and zeaxanthin replaced it, because of a possible increased risk of lung cancer in former smokers who took beta carotene. That’s a good reminder that high-dose supplements aren’t the same as eating vegetables. Talk to your eye doctor before taking any eye supplement.
Can you eat too many carrots?
Eating large amounts of carrots for weeks can turn your skin slightly yellow-orange, especially on the palms and soles. This condition, called carotenemia, is harmless and fades when you eat fewer carrots. Beta carotene from food doesn’t cause vitamin A poisoning, because your body only converts as much as it needs.
Preformed vitamin A, from liver, fish liver oils and some supplements, is different. Too much of it can be harmful, and the NHS advises avoiding liver and supplements containing vitamin A during pregnancy, as too much can harm the baby.
Other ways to protect your eyesight
- Don’t smoke. The NHS lists smoking, along with ageing, high blood pressure, being overweight and a family history, among the factors linked to AMD.
- Have regular eye tests, at least every 2 years, or as often as your optometrist recommends. Many eye conditions can be treated if they’re caught early.
- Wear sunglasses that block UV light when you’re outside on bright days.
- Manage blood sugar and blood pressure. Diabetes can damage the blood vessels in the retina. Our type 2 diabetes diet guide explains how food helps.
- Rest your eyes from screens: every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet (6 meters) away for 20 seconds.
Common questions
Will carrots fix my need for glasses?
No. Short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism are caused by the shape of your eye, not your diet. Food can’t correct them.
How many carrots should I eat for good eyesight?
There’s no set amount. One medium carrot a day covers more than half your vitamin A needs, but you can also get it from other orange and green vegetables, eggs and dairy.
Are carrots good for children’s eyes?
Carrots are a healthy part of children’s diets. Cut raw carrots into thin sticks or cook them until soft for young children, because hard raw pieces can be a choking risk. Our tips on getting kids to eat vegetables may help.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making big changes to how you eat, especially if you have a health condition, take regular medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
