Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of age-related permanent vision loss. The macula, a small area of the eye's retina, deteriorates in AMD, causing blindness. There is no cure for AMD and treatments have limited effectiveness. Lutein and zeaxanthin are beneficial nutrients found in egg yolks and vegetables such as leafy greens, broccoli, squash, corn, and peas. Now research reports that eating vegetables that contain lutein and zeaxanthin lowers the risk of developing AMD before age 75.
The study, published in Archives of Ophthalmology, examined the association between dietary lutein plus zeaxanthin and AMD. Researchers analyzed the data of 1,700 women aged 50 to 79 years. The subjects were Iowa, Wisconsin, and Oregon residents and participants in the Age-related Eye Disease Study (CAREDS), an ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative. Food frequency questionnaires obtained from the participants were analyzed to determine current and past nutrient intake. Fundus photography obtained from the participants determined there were 327 participants with intermediate AMD and 34 participants with advanced AMD.
The researchers found that participants with the highest vegetable intake consumed three times more lutein and zeaxanthin than those with the lowest vegetable intake. Furthermore, participants younger than 75 with the highest lutein and zeaxanthin were less likely to develop AMD.
"Diets rich in lutein plus zeaxanthin may protect against intermediate AMD in healthy women younger than 75 years," the study authors conclude.
REFERENCES:
1. Moeller, S et al. Associations between intermediate age-related macular degeneration and lutein and zeaxanthin in the Carotenoids in Age-related Eye Disease Study (CAREDS): ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative. Arch Opthalmol 2006 Aug;124(8):1151-62.
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on January 12, 2007 03:56 PM
