Good question- you hear "eat your carrots so you will have healthy eyes" from the time you are a little kid! Is there anything to it?It turns out there is indeed a good reason to eat your carrots - they, along with some other vegetables, contain lots of beta-carotene. This is a carotenoid, a family of light absorbing pigments that traps light energy in leaves during photosynthesis.

Human cells can break down beta-carotene into two molecules of vitamin A. The vitamin A is then used to make rhodopsin, a pigment required for vision.

So, carrots (and squash, and tomatoes) are indeed "good for your eyes."Unfortunately, eating lots of carrots won't necessarily "enhance" your vision (in terms of the 20/20 aspect), but eating such foods will keep your eyes healthy!