Can diet protect you from losing your eyesight as you age?
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), which causes a gradual deterioriation of your central vision, is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. At present there is no cure or treatment--but researchers had high hopes that a diet rich in antioxidants might prevent macular degeneration. Unfortunately, the latest study results now suggest that antioxidants do not in fact protect against macular degeneration.
But there still may be a nutrition connection. Scientists have found that systemic inflammation (indicated by high C-reactive protein levels) is directly linked to the risk of developing AMD. And this implies that an anti-inflammatory diet may be effective in preventing this devastating condition.
So, while these studies seem to imply that antioxidants have no effect on AMD, I suspect that it's a little more nuanced than that. Antioxidants alone may not be enough to reduce CRP levels and disease risk, but as part of an anti-inflammatory diet, they may play an important role.
Antioxidants help reduce inflammation, but an anti-inflammatory diet also requires limiting saturated and trans fats, increasing monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fats, moderating the glycemic impact, and including nutrients that lower homocysteine. Inflammation also increases your risk of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and depression--so there are plenty of good reasons to consider an anti-inflammatory diet. The IF Ratings can help you create a diet that reduces excess inflammation. (See more on our Inflammation Help page.)
After attending the AACVPR conference in Salt Lake City, one of the presenters commented and reviewed the research study on antioxidants and what was revealed is that the study was done on antioxidants from supplements not from their natural source (fruits and vegetables). And therefore warranted further research on antioxidants in their natural form before they can be concluded as none-beneficial, or non-protective. The consensus at the conference is that there is still plenty of research that supports antioxidants, but that further research is still warranted.