Diet Trend That Can Prevent One of the Leading Cause of Blindness

Losing one of our five senses can be devastating because it impairs the quality of our living. That is why millions of people dive into different dietary habits and trends to take the utmost care of the body. Several diseases can destroy a happy life like blindness, for instance. Isn't it very heartbreaking when one day, you won't be able to see the wonders of the world?

(Photo: Aline Berry )

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According to WebMD, the eyes are slightly asymmetrical globe and about an inch in diameter and are composed of different parts for an individual to see clearly. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says common eye disorders and diseases make 4.2 million Americans aged 40 and older suffer from legal blindness. They further said that the leading grounds of blindness and low vision are age-related eye ailments such as cataract, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.

Tree hugger mentioned a diet trend that can diminish an individual's risk for age-related macular degeneration or AMD, can lead to a longer lifespan, and reduced incidence of heart disease and cognitive declination. According to a study published in 2018, the Mediterranean diet was able to diminish the risk of late-stage AMD by 41 percent for people who were able to pursue the diet.

What is the Mediterranean diet?

According to the Strengthening Health Institute, this diet is based on the dietary habits of people from Greece, Crete, and Southern Italy. They added that it became popular because people from these countries show low rates of heart disease, chronic diseases, and obesity. National Health Service (NHS) added that the Mediterranean diet differs from every country and region, that is why it has a broad definition. They added that what makes it the same is it is high in vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, beans, fish, grains, cereals, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil.

Methods and results of the study

According to the release by the American Academy of Ophthalmology food frequency questionnaires from nearly 5,000 people that participated from the previous study such as the Rotterdam study which evaluated the disease risk of people from 55 years of age and older, and the Alienor study that assessed the connection of eye diseases and nutritional factors people aged 73 years and older; undergone an analysis.

The release further said that researchers found that people who closely followed the diet have 41 percent less risk of developing AMD compared to those who were not able to follow the diet. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology clinical spokesperson and an advisory board to the research group conducting the study, Emily Chew, M.D. said that she believes that this is a public health issue with the same scale as smoking. She added that Chronic diseases such as dementia, obesity, AMD, and even diabetes are from poor dietary habits.

What is AMD?

WebMD described the disease is the leading cause of severe permanent blindness or vision loss in people 60 years and older. They mention two types of macular degeneration, namely, dry macular degeneration and wet macular degeneration. According to Mayo Clinic, dry macular degeneration usually affects both eyes and does not affect the peripheral vision, so it rarely causes total blindness. The American Macular Degeneration Foundation describes wet AMD as a condition where new blood vessels grow in the choroid layer behind the retina which is weak and releases fluid, blood, and lipids which can cause scar tissue to form and retinal cells to stop functioning. While this condition may be a bit alarming, having a healthy lifestyle can make a difference, just like what Dr. Chew reminds.

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