ARVO 2018: Mediterranean Diet May Lower Advanced AMD Risk
Several research studies have suggested that the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) – which is rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, and fish – may be good for your health, including lowering your risk of an early visit from the grim reaper.
Known as the EYE-RISK CONSORTIUM, a large international research collaboration found that the MeDi reduced the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by 39 percent. The researcher’s findings were highlighted in a poster on May 1 at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in Honolulu.
AMD is the leading cause of blindness in people over 55 years of age. The condition affects an estimated 150 million people globally.
The researchers analyzed food-frequency questionnaires from nearly 5,000 people, who were participants in two previous investigations – the Rotterdam Study, which evaluated disease risk in the elderly, and the ALIENOR Study, which assessed the association between eye diseases and nutritional factors.
AMD is a complex disease with many other risk factors including aging and genetics, neither of which you can do much about. Smoking is the largest modifiable risk factor. So, if you happen to indulge in the habit, saving your vision is a good reason, among many, to give it up.