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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Loading up on yellow vegetables and dark leafy greens might help protect your vision against a leading cause of blindness.
According to a new study, people who ate more of these foods, which contain the nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin, were less likely to have advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) than people who ate fewer servings.
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Researchers conducted the study using about 4,500 people ages 60 to 80, a group considered at high risk for the sight-robbing condition. Researchers photographed the study participants' retinas to find out if they had AMD and to identify which of four stages of the disease they were in if they did.
Then, the participants filled out questionnaires about eating habits, and the investigators divided them into five groups according to their consumption of several key nutrients, including lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, lycopene and vitamins C and E. Those in the highest lutein and zeaxanthin groups had the lowest risk for advanced AMD. The other nutrients didn't seem to affect the condition negatively or positively.
The researchers report the two nutrients may help prevent advanced AMD because they have the ability to filter short-wavelength light. That type of light has been implicated in the condition, which slowly erodes sharp central vision.
Statistics show about 1.22 million people in the United States have AMD. The condition is the leading cause of blindness in whites of European descent.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Archives of Ophthalmology, 2007;125:1225-1232
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