Nutrition and your eyesight

If you have been in the practice recently you will know I am more than a little interested in the benefits of healthy nutrition.

I’m reading Chris van Tulleken’s book, “Ultra Processed People” which looks at the foods we aim (but may struggle) to eat less of, and why.

Eating nutritious food is not only fundamental to good health, but is also key to protecting our eyes from Age-related Macular Degeneration.

This is why we assess whether you are getting enough macular pigments (lutein & zeaxanthin) in your diet as part of your advanced eye examination. 

Read further on how best to protect your eyes on our previous blog here.

Detailed below is another study showing how important macular pigments (lutein and zeaxanthin) are preventative against AMD progression.

New research from Harvard Medical School and University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School has found that people who get more macular pigments and Omega fatty acids have a reduced chance of progressing to later stages of age-related macular degeneration (Advanced AMD).

The study was based on 2697 eyes followed over 5 years and used dietary intake from a food frequency questionnaire. The study controlled for genetic predisposition, smoking, age and other known variables that can affect risk of developing advanced AMD, as seen below:

“Seddon et al. (2024), published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that people who ate 

●     more than 2.7 servings of green leafy vegetables, which contain high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, decreased their risk of progressing to Advanced AMD by as much as 24%. 

●     more than two servings of fish (greater than 4 oz), which is rich in Omega fatty acids, decreased their risk of progressing to Advanced AMD by 15%

●     and that there was an additional effect such that people who ate both together reduced their risk of progressing to Advanced AMD by up to 36%.”

To read the full article click here.

Clearly, the Mediterranean diet can offer protective health benefits to your eyes, especially regarding Advanced AMD!