A vitamin-rich diet lowers the risk of contracting
macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness among
the elderly in developed countries, researchers said.
The antioxidant properties of vitamins C and E, beta carotene
and zinc were found to ward off macular degeneration,
in which abnormal blood cells grow in the eye and leak
blood and fluid that damage the center of the retina and
blur central vision.
Sufferers are often debilitated and unable to read, recognize
faces or drive, and the condition worsens with age. It
affects more than one out of 10 white adults over the
age of 80, and is the leading cause of severe vision loss
in Americans 60 and older.
There is no cure, although an earlier study found taking
high doses of vitamin supplements could slow the condition's
progression.
The eight-year study involved more than 4,000 older residents
of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. It found those whose
diets included more than the median levels of vitamins
C and E, beta carotene and zinc had a 35 percent lower
risk of developing macular degeneration, compared with
those whose diets provided a below-median level of any
of the four nutrients.
Participants with a below-median consumption of all four
of the nutrients had a 20 percent higher risk of macular
degeneration.
"This study suggests that the risk of age-related macular
degeneration can be modified by diet; in particular, by
dietary vitamin E and zinc," wrote lead author Dr. Redmer
van Leeuwen of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam.
"Foods high in these nutrients appear to be more important
than nutritional supplements," he added in the report,
published in this week's issue of the
Journal of the American Medical Association.
Foods rich in vitamin E include whole grains, vegetable
oil, eggs and nuts, the report said. High concentrations
of zinc can be found in meat, poultry, fish, whole grains
and dairy products. Carrots, kale and spinach are the
main suppliers of beta carotene, while vitamin C is found
in citrus fruits and juices, green peppers, broccoli and
potatoes.
While the Dutch study showed a healthy diet was one of
the keys to preventing macular degeneration, Dr. Carl
Regillo of the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia stressed
the importance of early detection now that new treatments
are available.
