Lifestyle Can Offset Preventable Eye Disease

Your food selection is an example of a lifestyle choice that you can make. You can choose to eat foods that support good eye health. There is a recent study which documents the value of good food choices. [1]In summary, the study found that participants with high adherence to dietary guidelines for healthy eye foods had a lower risk of visual impairment. This study tracked participants’ adherence to specific dietary guidelines and the occurrence of visual impairments over 10 years. The researchers analyzed data from 3,654 participants from the Blue Mountain Eye Study, [2]who were examined at baseline, and reexamined after both five and 10 years. In conjunction, they used a Total Diet Score, which was calculated based on the Australian diet quality index, and included components of diet quality, poor dietary habits, and energy balance. The study was published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology. [3]

A. Paul Chous, O.D., AOA representative to the National Diabetes Education Program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), isn’t surprised by the study’s results. He notes the abundance of evidence that links poor diet to poor health outcomes, including age-related macular degeneration and diabetes retinopathy.

“Nutrition is critical to eye health,” says Dr. Chous, adding that “high consumption of added sugars, refined carbohydrates, along with low intake of beneficial plant-based foods that contain phytonutrients and fiber, directly contribute to increased risk for multiple eye diseases and catastrophic vision loss”.

Eye Supporting Diet also Increases Immune Health

It is exciting to me that a diet that supports eye health can also help build your immune system. One recent study that shows the link between the two. Clinical studies have shown that resveratrol, due to its potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are cardio-protective, chemotherapeutic, neuroprotective, and display anti-aging effects. Oxidative stress and inflammation play a critical role in the initiation and progression of age-related ocular diseases (glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration) that lead to progressive loss of vision and blindness.[4]

References:

[1]: Ma, L., Dou, H. L., Huang, Y. M., Lu, X. R., Xu, X. R., Qian, F., ... & Lin, X. M. (2012). Improvement of retinal function in early age-related macular degeneration after lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation: a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial. American journal of ophthalmology, 154(4), 625-634.

[2]: Pizzarello, Louis MD, MPH Visual Impairment and Nursing Home Placement in Older Australians: The Blue Mountain Eye Study, Evidence-Based Eye Care: January 2004 - Volume 5 - Issue 1 - p 50-51

[3]: Mitchell P, Smith W, Attebo K, Wang JJ. Prevalence of Age-related Maculopathy in Australia: The Blue Mountains Eye Study. Ophthalmology. 1995;102(10):1450-1460. doi:10.1016/S0161-6420(95)30846-9

[4]: Abu-Amero KK, Kondkar AA, Chalam K V. Resveratrol and Ophthalmic Diseases. Nutrients. 2016;8(4):200. doi:10.3390/nu8040200