Healthy diet may protect eyes

Eating fish, nuts, olive oil and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and avoiding transfats may help reduce the risk of a common eye disorder called age-related macular degeneration (AMD).AMD arises from gradual damage to the macula, a structure in the retina that allows for seeing fine details. AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. Researchers from Australia studied 6108 participants to assess the relationship between baseline dietary fatty acids and 10-year incident age-related macular degeneration (AMD). They assessed AMD from retinal photographs and analysed data regarding dietary intake of the all the participants. Of all the subjects, 3654 had baseline assessment and 2454 were examined 5 and/or 10 years later. Among 2454 participants, it was found that eating one serving of fish per week was associated with a 31 percent lower risk of developing early AMD after adjusting for other risk factors like age, sex and smoking. Eating one to two servings of nuts per week was associated with a 35 percent lower risk of early AMD.The researchers concluded that boosting the intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and eating fish and nuts regularly may protect the elderly against the development of early AMD. In another study, researchers studied 6,734 participants, aged 58 to 69 years old, to evaluate the association between past dietary fat intake and the prevalence of age related macular degeneration (AMD). The participants provided information on diet in the early 1990s and were then tracked for the development of AMD until between 2003 and 2006.It was found that 2,872 developed early AMD and 88 developed late AMD. People who consumed the most trans-unsaturated fats, found in baked goods and processed foods, were 76 percent more likely to have late AMD than people who consumed the least trans-unsaturated fats. And people who consumed the most omega-3 fatty acids were 15 percent less likely to have early AMD than those who consumed the least omega-3 fatty acids. Consuming 100 millilitres or more per week of olive oil (versus less than 1 millilitre per week) lowered the odds of late AMD by 52 percent. The researchers concluded that people who follow a diet low in processed foods, high in trans-unsaturated fatty acids and rich in omega-3 fatty acids and olive oil might have some protection from developing AMD. However, there were no significant ties between intake of total fat, butter or margarine and the development of AMD.