[ad_1]
New research has shown that following the popular Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in the United States. Conducted by researchers from the University of Bordeaux, France, and the Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands, the new study involved nearly 5,000 participants in two previous European studies.
The sample included 4,446 adults from the Rotterdam study, which focused on the risk of illness among people aged 55 and over, and 550 French adults from the Alienor study, which assessed the relationship between eye diseases. and nutritional factors in people aged 73 and over. Participants in the Rotterdam study were evaluated every five years over a 21-year period, while those in the Alienor study were seen every two years over a four-year period.
The results, published in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, showed that participants who closely followed the Mediterranean diet were 41% less likely to develop AMD compared to those who did not follow it. . In addition, the results suggest that the Mediterranean diet should be followed as a complete diet, the team having found that none of the individual components of the diet, such as fish, fruits, vegetables, etc., has reduced the risk of AMD. when they are consumed alone.
<! –
->
A Mediterranean diet encourages high consumption of fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, olive oil and whole grains, as well as a low consumption of meat, food processed and dairy products. Although previous studies have linked it to a reduction in the risk of heart disease, cognitive decline and cancer, and even to a longer life span, only a few studies have examined its effects on AMD.
The new findings corroborate and expand on previous research, suggesting that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial for people already suffering from or at risk of developing AMD. AMD is a degenerative eye disease that causes central vision loss and affects everyday abilities such as seeing faces, driving, reading and writing. It is also the leading cause of vision loss in people 50 years and older.
"You are what you eat," said Emily Chew, MD, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "I think it's a public health issue just like smoking." Chronic diseases such as AMD, dementia, obesity, and diabetes are all rooted in poor eating habits, it's time to stop eating healthy and smoking. "
[ad_2]
Source link
