You may have been told that carrots improve night vision, but is this the truth? Eye care professionals say that regardless of how many carrots you eat, they can't save you from needing eye glasses. However, carrots do contain large amounts of beta-carotene, a vitamin that is very good for the health of your eyes and therefore consuming carrots and other beta-carotene rich foods is definitely a recommendation for proper eye health.

Beta-carotene is an orange colored pigment (carotenoid) that converts into vitamin A once absorbed in the body. Vitamin A protects the surface of the eye (cornea) and has been proven to prevent certain eye diseases such as macular degeneration. Vitamin A, a group of antioxidant compounds, protects the surface of the eye to decrease the frequency of eye infections as well as other infectious diseases. Vitamin A has also shown to be a successful solution for dry eye syndrome as well as other eye conditions. A deficiency of this important vitamin (which tends to be more common in underdeveloped countries) is known to cause night blindness, corneal ulcers and retinal damage which can lead to complete blindness.

There are two variations of vitamin A, which relate to the food source they come from. Vitamin A originating from an animal is called Retinol and can be obtained from foods such as beef, liver, or dairy products. Vitamin A that is fruit and vegetable-derived comes in the form of ''provitamin A'' carotenoids, which break down to retinol after the nutrients are digested. In addition to carrots, carotenoids can be found in colorful produce particularly those that are bright orange or green in color.

It is proven that through most forms, vitamin A contributes to the health of your eyes as well as your overall well being. Even though carrots themselves can't fix corneal refraction which causes near or far-sightedness, mother had it right when she said ''finish your carrots.''