Oranges May Keep Macular Degeneration at Bay; What Is Macular Degeneration? Other Foods You Must Eat!
There are various stages of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and depending on its severity the symptoms become evident.
New research says an orange a day can keep macular degeneration at bay. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition believes that oranges help people with macular degeneration which has become a common disorder among people above 55 years of age. People who regularly eat oranges are less at the risk of vision loss than the rest.
More than 2000 adults above the age of 50 participated in the research and were followed for over a period of 15 years where they found out that people who consumed at least one portion of orange every day had over 60 per cent diminished the risk of developing late macular degeneration. Not only that, even when one ate about a serving of oranges a week were benefitted better that people who didn't eat oranges at all.
How Do Oranges Help Keep Macular Degeneration at Bay?
According to the research, the flavonoids present in oranges help protect against the condition, and the relationship between flavonoids and macular degeneration has got a lot to do with consuming oranges regularly. The amazing and powerful antioxidants present in the oranges help too.
What Is Macular Degeneration?
One of the leading cause of vision loss is unfortunately still an incurable eye disease. When a person's central portion of the retina deteriorates, the person is suffering from macular degeneration. The function of the retina the back layer of the eye is to record the images you see and sends them to the brain via the optic nerve. Macula, the central portion of the retina, focuses on the central vision in the eye. It controls the human ability to read, recognise faces or colours, etc.
Foods That Help Prevent Macular Degeneration (Apart from Oranges):
- Raw Kale: Kale is exceptionally nutritional and has the highest content of lutein and zeaxanthin, and they are both fantastic for your eye health especially for your macula. Extremely rich in vitamin K and must be included in your diet to prevent macular degeneration.
- Broccoli: Another vegetable loaded with lutein that is extremely good for your eyes broccoli is ever rich in fibre, vitamin C and beta-carotene.
- Lemons and Other Citrus Fruits: Lemons, berries and other foods rich in vitamin E are excellent for your eyes. Vitamin C helps prevent macular degeneration and other eye health issues like cataracts.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acid Food: Foods rich in Omega-3 helps improve the overall health of the retina. Foods like salmons, walnuts, spinach are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Apricots: Rich in Beta-carotene apricots are perfect for the eyes. Rich in nutrients like E, C, copper and zinc, apricot can help protect you from the risk of macular degeneration.
There are various stages of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and depending on its severity the symptoms become evident. The different stages may vary from early, intermediate and late. In the early stage, the symptoms are very subtle, therefore a regular eye check-up is always advised.
(References: Age-related macular degeneration / The role of the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, in protecting against age-related macular degeneration: a review based on controversial evidence)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 13, 2018 06:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).