Healthy Eating May Save Your Sight

The right diet can help protect against diseases that affect sight, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in those over the age of 55. Researchers at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research have found that the combination of a low-glycemic diet combined with vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids can help maintain quality of life and reduce health care costs due to sight-robbing eye diseases. The study examined dietary intake and other data from more than 4,000 men and women age 55 to 80, who had taken part in the long-term Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). The researchers ranked intake of several nutrients and then calculated a score designed to assess their combined effect on the risk of AMD.

My take? I’ve long advocated eating low on the glycemic index and have recommended increasing consumption of vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein and zinc to support vision health. I recommend these nutrients and lifestyle changes to address AMD.

View the larger, expanded version of my Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid; alternatively, read more about the specific components of the anti-inflammatory diet.

Comments

[Suzy Staywell]

It seems to always go back to inflammation when it comes to degenerative diseases. I wonder if we as a culture are eating too many things that promote inflammation or not enough of the phytonutrients that fight inflammation, because cancer, AMD and other such devastating illnesses seem to be on the rise.

Thanks, Dr. Weil, for continuing to fight the good fight!