The carrot story has a wartime past: British authorities credited carrots for pilots' night-fighting success to hide a radar advantage. The myth survived, but it grew from a grain of truth.
Retina ClearWhat vitamin A does
Your retina uses vitamin A to make rhodopsin, the pigment that lets rods work in dim light. Without enough vitamin A, night vision fails and severe deficiency can cause blindness. That is common in parts of the world with poor diets and rare in well-fed countries.
Retina ClearWhy extra does not help
Once you have enough, more does not sharpen sight. Very high intakes of preformed vitamin A can even be harmful, particularly in pregnancy.
A better plate
- Leafy greens, for lutein and zeaxanthin.
- Orange and red vegetables and fruit.
- Eggs and oily fish.
Carrots are fine and healthy. They just will not upgrade your eyes.