Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of blindness. In America, more elderly people are losing their sight because of AMD.
With the elderly population expected to grow a lot by 2050, we need ways to protect their vision.
A Link Between Nitrate and Eye Health
The National Eye Institute did a study about AMD. They wanted to see if eating foods with nitrates could help slow down this eye disease.
They used data from two big studies called AREDS and AREDS2. Almost 7,800 people were part of these studies. That’s a lot of data to look at.
After analyzing everything, the scientists saw a pattern. People who ate more nitrates in their food were less likely to have their AMD get worse.
There are two bad forms of AMD called GA and nAMD. People who ate more nitrates were also less likely to get these bad forms.
But this nitrate effect was only for AMD. It didn’t help other eye problems.
The Benefits of Plant-Based Foods
The scientists think one reason for this is the Mediterranean diet. This diet has a lot of plant foods. And plants have nitrates.
So, people who eat like they’re in the Mediterranean might be protecting their eyes without knowing it. This diet has other health benefits too. Some studies say it’s good for the brain and can help people live longer.
There are also other things to think about for eye health. For example, vitamin B might help stop vision loss. And, things like olive oil and vitamin D have their own health benefits.
Final Thoughts
The team, led by Geoffrey K. Broadhead, shared all of this in the JAMA Ophthalmology journal. Their work shows that the choices we make about food can protect our eyes as we get older.
If you care about eye health, please read studies about how to save your eyes from diabetes, and the treatments of dry eye you need to know.
For more information about eye disease, please see recent studies about how to protect your eyes from glaucoma, and results showing this eye surgery may reduce dementia risk.
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