Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) afflicts people as they age, causing damage to the central vision, which is needed for clearly seeing objects and for going about daily activities such as driving or reading. While AMD is not painful, it affects the part of the eye that allows us to see fine detail – the macula. When early AMD strikes, blood vessels in the macula degenerate thereby blurring our vision. In the later stage, AMD may lead to complete blindness. At present, AMD is a top cause of vision loss among Americans aged 60 years and older.
However, prevention of AMD in its early stages is possible. Two studies have indicated that eating right is the key to saving the eyesight. Two research teams have found that diet leaning on food with healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids such as fish, olive, oil and nuts may reduce the risk of developing AMD.
Dr. Jennifer S. L. Tan of the University of Sydney came up with findings from a 10-year observational study of 2,454 men and women suggesting that people who ate one serving of fish for their weekly diet have a 31% reduced risk of developing AMD compared to those who did not. The study also revealed that a weekly diet of nuts reduced AMD disk by 35 percent.
University of Melbourne researchers led by Elaine W. T. Chong, M.D., Ph.D., studied more than 6,700 individuals aged 50 to 79 years old in order to evaluate the link of omega-3 fatty acids consumption with AMD risk. It found that people who took at least 100ml of olive oil per week are 50% less likely to develop late AMD compared to those who took less than 1ml per week.
The study suggests sticking to healthy fat and away from transfat, which is the source for “bad cholesterol”, often found in fried and baked food. Findings indicate that people who ate the most transfat almost double (1.76 times) the risk of developing late AMD.