Scientists from the University at Buffalo have found that people who follow a Western-style diet—high in red and processed meat, fried foods, refined grains, and high-fat dairy products—are much more likely to develop an eye condition that damages the retina and affects central vision.
The condition, known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), occurs when aging damages the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp, straight-ahead vision.
The macula is located in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.
AMD is one of the leading causes of vision loss in older adults. Although it does not cause complete blindness, losing central vision makes it difficult to recognize faces, read, drive, or perform detailed tasks such as cooking or sewing.
AMD progresses at different speeds depending on the individual. In its early stages, AMD typically causes no noticeable vision loss.
People with early AMD usually have small or medium-sized drusen—yellow deposits under the retina roughly the thickness of a human hair—and face a relatively low risk of advancing to late AMD within five years.
Because early AMD often has no symptoms, regular eye exams are essential for early detection.
Late AMD, however, is associated with severe vision loss, making it crucial to identify people at higher risk. In this study, researchers set out to examine how dietary patterns may influence the development of AMD.
They used data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study and assessed changes in AMD lesions by comparing retinal photographs taken during two clinical visits. Participants also completed a food frequency questionnaire that grouped their diets into 29 food categories.
The researchers found that participants’ diets generally aligned with either a Western (unhealthy) pattern or a prudent (healthy) pattern.
The Western diet—often referred to as the meat-sweet diet or the standard American diet—is characterized by high intakes of fatty foods, sugary desserts and beverages, red meat, refined grains, and full-fat dairy products.
It is typically low in fruits and vegetables and tends to include large portions, excess calories, and significant amounts of added sugar.
In contrast, the prudent diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish, and other seafood, providing higher nutrient density and overall nutritional quality. Peanuts, though classified botanically as legumes, can fit into both dietary patterns depending on how they are consumed.
The study found no strong associations between either dietary pattern and the risk of developing early AMD. However, individuals with higher Western diet scores had a noticeably higher risk of developing late AMD. Conversely, participants who followed a more prudent dietary pattern showed a slightly reduced risk of late-stage disease.
Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that diet does not appear to strongly influence the development of early AMD, but a Western-style diet may increase the risk of progressing to late, vision-threatening AMD. A healthier, nutrient-dense diet may offer some protective benefits.
The research was published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology and conducted by Shruti Dighe and colleagues.
