Eating a healthful diet linked to a lower risk of age-related macular degeneration

A new study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology found a link between a diet rich in unhealthy foods and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a condition that impairs the retina with age, blurring central vision. Whilst previous research had shown links between certain foods and nutrients with AMD and evidence that high dose antioxidants can slow the progression, there had been much less research into the link with dietary patterns. Previous studies had also focused on mostly late stage risk which is when the condition has become vision threatening rather than at early stage diagnosis.

The study looked at the development of both early and late AMD in participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study which looked at arterial health over an 18 year period between 1987 and 1995. The researchers led by Dr. Amy Millen of the University of Buffalo, New York used data on 66 different food types. Foods were put into 2 groups, one labelled as Healthful and the other as Western. The Western diet group included a high intake of processed meat, red meat, eggs, high fat dairy, refined grains, desserts and sugar sweetened drinks.

The researchers found initially no link between early AMD and diets however they did find the incidence of late AMD was 3 times higher among those eating the Western diet.