Some of the nutrients found in plants can help protect your body against damage. One such nutrient is lutein which, along with another compound called zeaxanthin, is important for maintaining eye health. By increasing your intake of these compounds, you may be able to prevent or slow the progression of certain eye diseases, including macular degeneration.
Identification
The macula is the central part of the retina, and it is involved with focused color vision. In macular degeneration, this portion of the eye begins to break down. The first stage is called dry macular degeneration. As the disease progresses, it is classified as wet macular degeneration; wet macular degeneration is responsible for 90 percent of all cases of legal blindness.
Carotenoids
Carotenoids are chemicals that are related to vitamin A. Two carotenoid compounds, known as lutein and zeaxanthin, make up important pigments that are found in the macula. These two pigments can protect the macula from macular degeneration in two different ways. First, they may be able to protect this portion of the eye from damaging ultraviolet rays of light. Second, they can function as antioxidants, which means that they protect the light-sensitive cells in the macula from reactive oxygen species, which is a chemically dangerous form of oxygen that can cause damage to proteins, membranes and DNA.
Research
Low quantities of carotenoids in the diet are associated with an increased risk of developing macular degeneration. According to a 2007 study published in the "Archives of Opthamology," patients with an increased intake of carotenoids, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, had a decreased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. This study was a case-control study, which means that it measured the risk of developing macular degeneration in patients who consumed high amounts of carotenoids versus people who had low-carotenoid diets. These types of studies do not establish a definitive cause-and-effect relationship, but the evidence did show a strong association between a diet low in carotenoids and an increased risk of developing macular degeneration.
Prevention
You can lower your risk of developing macular degeneration by consuming a diet high in lutein and zeaxanthin. These pigments can be found in green leafy vegetables, such as collard greens, cooked spinach and turnip greens. Lutein can also be found in lower amounts in corn, broccoli and other vegetables. You can also increase your intake of lutein and zeaxanthin by taking supplements.
Treatment
Although more research needs to be done to determine if lutein supplementation can be effective for treating macular degeneration, the American Macular Degeneration Foundation reports that with proper nutrition, loss of vision can be prevented and possibly even reversed. To date, there is not enough evidence to show that increased lutein intake can treat macular degeneration, but the body of evidence supports increased intake of this nutrient to support and possibly improve eye health.
References
- American Health Assistance Foundation: Macular Degeneration
- American Optometric Association: Lutein
- American Macular Degeneration Foundation: Lutein
- San Giovanni et al. "The Relationship of Dietary Carotenoid and Vitamin A, E, and C Intake With Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a Case-Control Study" Archives of Opthamology, 2007.
