See the benefits of eating well

We know eating well is good for us, but for people at a higher risk of losing central vision as they age, eating sufficient levels of certain dietary nutrients could drastically help protect their eyes.

A new study found that among people with a “genetic susceptibility” to macular degeneration, which is vision loss caused by erosion of the retina, those who ate higher levels of zinc, antioxidants or omega-3 fatty acids, cut their risk of developing the disease by as much as a third, compared with those who ate lower levels of the nutrients.

The research called for clinicians to provide dietary advice to “young susceptible individuals” to postpone or prevent age-related macular degeneration.

The researchers, who wrote their findings in the journal Archives of Ophthalmology, said age-related macular degeneration was common, accounting for half of all cases of blindness in developed countries.

In the United States, the condition occurs in more than six out of every 100 adults over the age of 40.

There is no cure for macular degeneration; however it can be treated with medications and surgery.

The study found…

At least two gene variations are known to raise a person’s risk for developing the condition compared to the general population.

One of the variations (called CFH) increased a person’s odds of macular degeneration up to 11-fold, and another (called LOC387715S) raised them by up to 15-fold.

To see whether these especially susceptible people might reduce their risk, the researchers, based in the Netherlands, surveyed the eating habits of more than 2,000 participants over the age of 55.

All of the participants also had eye exams every three years for the next decade to determine who suffered vision loss.

Among people with the CFH variation, greater amounts of either zinc, beta carotene, omega-3 fatty acids or lutein/zeaxanthin in the diet was linked to a smaller risk of macular degeneration.

For those who had the LOC387715S variation, reduced risk of vision loss was seen among people who ate greater amounts of zinc or omega-3 fats.

In their case, for example, 25% of people who ate 11.85 mg per day of zinc developed macular degeneration, compared to 33% of people who ate just 7.5 mg per day.

“To achieve this benefit, it does not appear necessary to consume excessive amounts of these nutrients; the recommended dietary allowance will suffice,” the researchers stated.

Fast food facts:

• Good sources for zinc include oysters, red meat, nuts and beans.
• Oily fish is one of the best food sources for omega-3 fats, while beta carotene is found in carrots, sweet potatoes and other vegetables and fruits.
• Lutein and zeaxanthin are abundant in eggs and green leafy vegetables.