Which is better for your eyesight, carrots or chocolate?

A new study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that eating a bar of dark chocolate improves eyesight within two hours!

The researchers gave the study participants dark chocolate, and found that the patients had better small-letter vision immediately after their snack.

Dark chocolate is rich in polyphenols, which cause blood vessels to dilate and help blood flow more freely.   The retina of the eye heavily lined with arteries.  It is thought that it may be very susceptible to the  increased blood flow caused by eating chocolate.

Chocolate also has anti-oxidant effects which are beneficial to the lining of the blood vessels.

It is also thought that chocolate increases availability of nutrients to metabolically active sites of the brain, which may help vision as well.

But what about carrots?  We’ve all been told to eat carrots to help our eyesight.  Carrots  help supply us with Vitamin A, which prevents a condition called night blindness.  So while carrots may prevent a vision problem, they do not actually improve our current vision.  Any food that is Vitamin A rich, such as kale, spinach, sweet potatoes, or almonds,  is important for our overall health however.