People who are visually impaired benefit from a healthy lifestyle that contributes to overall well-being. This includes regular exercise-adjusted to ensure safety-and a nutritious diet that may help protect remaining vision.
These suggestions may help protect vision and improve overall health, and they may lower the risk of developing AMD.
You might be able to reduce your risk of AMD or slow its progression by eating certain foods. Carotenoids (especially lutein and zeaxanthin), antioxidants (such vitamins C and E), vitamins A and D, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids may all contribute to better vision.
Choose whole-grain versions of pasta (sometimes called "brown pasta"), rice, and bread that contain complex carbohydrates, which are metabolized more slowly and are healthier than their "white" counterparts. White rice, bread, and pasta have a high glycemic index, meaning that the carbohydrates are broken down rapidly into glucose or blood sugar.
They provide quick energy but contain few nutrients and little fiber, and in large amounts, they may damage cells. Some studies have shown that eating foods with a high glycemic index may increase the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.
Carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin, are found in dark green, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables, including:
Vitamin A is found in:
Vitamin C is found in:
Vitamin E is found in:
Once dry age-related macular degeneration reaches the advanced stage, there is no form of treatment at present to prevent further vision loss. However, there is an intervention measure that could delay and possibly prevent intermediate age-related macular degeneration from progressing to the advanced stage in which vision loss occurs.
The National Eye Institute’s Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) found that taking nutritional supplements with a specific high-dose formulation of antioxidants (vitamins C and E and beta-carotene), zinc, and copper delayed or prevented the progression of age-related macular degeneration from the intermediate to the advanced stage.
A follow-up trial, called AREDS2, found that the addition of omega-3 fatty acids to the supplements did not improve the formula’s success. The antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin proved safer than beta-carotene, which increases the risk of lung cancer for smokers or ex-smokers.
It’s important to find the right vitamins, since many are marketed for eye health but only a few have formulas that have proven effective.
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