Eating Your Vegetables May Decrease Your Chance of Eye Disease

December 28, 2005

Eating foods rich in the antioxidant vitamins C and E and the mineral zinc can stave off Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), a new study from the Netherlands has discovered. The findings from the study are presented in the December 28, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The disease is a serious eye condition that gets worse over time and begins by damaging the macula, an oval shaped spot in the center of the eye that is responsible for the most focused vision. AMD affects over 15 million people in the US and is the most frequently occurring form of blindness in the developed world.

Most age-related macular degeneration does not cause a total lack of vision. Many people with AMD suffer from a cessation of vision at the center of their eyesight, causing either a blackness or haziness in the central portion of their eye.

Rates of AMD are expected to rise over the next decade as the prevalence of elderly people grows in the US and people are living longer than ever.

The new study reports a 25% reduction in the worsening of AMD in people who increased their intakes of foods containing beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and zinc. The people who increased these types of food also had early signs of age-related macular degeneration.

Participants in the study who had normal vision were found to have a 10% lower rate of AMD when eating vitamin E and zinc. People who had excessively large intakes of beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc had a 35% reduced chance of developing AMD. People who did not eat these nutrients or who had a lower than average intake had a 20% greater risk of developing the disease.

Foods containing these nutrients include grains, vegetable oil, eggs, nuts, meats, vegetables - especially carrots and spinach, and fruits.

Eye surgery clinics often screen for the development of age-related macular degeneration as part of their overall initial and follow-up care.

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