During WWII, as the Battle of Britain raged in the skies above England, the UK Ministry of Food released a propaganda campaign detailing the reasons behind the success the British pilots were having finding and shooting down German aircraft in the dead of night. Carrots, the Ministry announced, were responsible for the improved night vision of the RAF pilots. The campaign intended to encourage the people of England to eat more carrots, which could be easily grown in a backyard while the cities were under blackouts.

Later, however, rumors began to appear with an alternate explanation. People began to theorize that the Ministry of Food’s bold claims about carrot-enriched night vision were intended as a cover for the secret radar technology that the RAF was actually using to track and intercept the German pilots. The cover story theory remains unproven, but the question then remains – do carrots really improve vision?

Is the Key to Healthy Vision Found in Eating Carrots?

The answer is yes, they do! While the effects might not be quite as dramatic as the Ministry of Food implied, carrots contain a pigment called beta-carotene that also occurs naturally in the eye. Once inside the body, beta-carotene converts into vitamin A, which is extremely important for vision. Vitamin A helps your body convert light into signals that can be interpreted by your brain, making it central for vision. In fact, if your body goes for too long without any vitamin A, your cornea can start to shrink and even disappear, leaving you blind. Every year, in poorer parts of the world, between 250,000 and 500,000 children go blind due to vitamin A deficiency.

However, the truth is that there are more efficient ways to get vitamin A than munching on carrots. Taking vitamin supplements is the most effective method, followed by vitamin A-rich foods like leafy greens and, yes, carrots. Reach out to us today to find out more!