Understanding Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Imagine waking up one day and slowly losing the ability to see the things you love, the faces of your loved ones, or even your own reflection.
This is the reality for many people who suffer from a condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
AMD is an eye disease that tends to affect older people and gradually destroys the sharp, central vision needed to see objects clearly. AMD is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over 60.
Why You Should Pay Attention to Your Diet
We’ve all heard that eating right can help keep our bodies healthy, but did you know that your diet can also play a critical role in the health of your eyes?
A team of scientists, led by Dr. Geoffrey K. Broadhead from the National Eye Institute in Maryland, has found some intriguing links between what we eat and the risk of developing AMD.
This group of experts looked at two large studies of people who were tracked over many years to understand how diet might influence AMD.
This study was published online on December 22 in the highly regarded JAMA Ophthalmology.
The Power of Nitrates
What they found might surprise you. The team discovered that people who ate a diet high in nitrates, a compound found in many green leafy vegetables, seemed to have a lower risk of their AMD getting worse.
When we say “high in nitrates”, we mean people who were eating more of these vegetables than most others were.
This doesn’t mean that nitrates are a cure for AMD. Still, these findings do suggest that a diet rich in these compounds could be one piece of the puzzle in slowing the progression of this eye disease.
The researchers noted that folks who ate more nitrate-rich foods were less likely to experience severe forms of AMD.
Mediterranean Diet: A Recipe for Healthier Eyes?
The researchers noticed something else interesting in their data, too.
They found that people who followed a Mediterranean-style diet—rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins—tended to eat more nitrate-rich foods.
The Mediterranean diet has long been associated with heart health, but now it seems that this way of eating could be good for your eyes too.
What Does This Mean for You?
The results of this study are promising, but they don’t give us the full picture. The authors of the study are cautious and remind us that these findings are based on looking back at data that was collected for another purpose.
This means they can’t be 100% sure that it was the nitrates in people’s diets that were protecting their eyes.
It might be that people who eat more nitrates also have other healthy habits that help to keep their eyes in good shape.
That said, it can’t hurt to load up your plate with more greens. The potential benefits go far beyond just eye health.
Eating more fruits and vegetables can help protect against heart disease, certain types of cancer, and even help you maintain a healthy weight.
So next time you’re deciding what to have for dinner, consider adding a side of leafy greens. Your eyes—and your body—will thank you.
If you care about eye health, please read studies about 5 dangerous signs you have diabetes-related eye disease, and how to protect your eyes from glaucoma.
For more information about eye health, please see recent studies about how to protect your eyes from diabetes, and results showing that vitamin B3 may help treat common blinding eye disease.
The study was published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
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