There are many connections between our eyes and our appetite.

The observation that "you eat first with your eyes" refers to the initial appeal created by the visual presentation of a dish.

Becky Stein / AJC (ENLARGE)

Gazpacho Andalucia with tomato sorbet and olive oil from Joel's is good for the eyes.

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Another maxim, "your eyes are bigger than your stomach," warns against piling up portions you'll never be able to finish.

Today, nutrition researchers are gazing into our eyes for another reason. They want to illuminate the link between what we eat and the long-term health of our eyes. Their diet discoveries include more than nibbling carrots to see better in the dark. (The body converts the beta-carotene in carrots into vitamin A, which aids night vision.)

Carrots still rank high on the eyesight-saving menu, but other heroes, perhaps even more important, are emerging from the vegetable kingdom. Scientists have set their sights on green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, collard greens and turnip greens because they contain two natural carotenoid plant pigments called lutein and zeaxanthin. Both are potent anti-oxidants thought to protect the eyes against damaging free radicals that may cause cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

In one new study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, a team at Harvard Medical School found that women who consumed higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin (6.7 milligrams per day) were 18 percent less likely to develop cataracts than those who consumed lower levels of the anti-oxidants (2.1 milligrams per day).

Another new study, reported by University of Sydney scientists in the journal Ophthalmology, found similar results linking higher lutein and zeaxanthin consumption to lower risk for age-related macular degeneration. The Australian study also found that the mineral zinc was associated with a lower risk of age-related macular degeneration. Other powerful anti-oxidant nutrients long associated with maintaining overall eye health are vitamins C and E and beta carotene.

The two leading causes of vision loss and blindness are cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, affecting more than 22 million Americans. So just as with other areas of disease prevention, learning more about how diet can play a role in protecting eye health is an important lesson. Happily, many of the foods rich in nutrients good for our eyes are delicious additions to any meal and are beautiful to look at, too.

20/20 DIET

Lutein/zeaxanthin: kale, collard greens, spinach, turnip greens, broccoli, avocados, zucchini, peas, corn, brussels sprouts, tangerines, dark leafy salad greens.

Beta carotene: carrots, mangos, sweet potatoes, greens, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, cantaloupes, kale, apricots.

Vitamin C: papayas, citrus fruit, strawberries, tomatoes, mangos, green peppers, berries.

Vitamin E: almonds, wheat germ, whole-grain breads, avocados, greens.

Zinc: oysters, lobster, beef, poultry, pork, lentils, whole-grain bread.

Source: USDA