Macular degeneration is a serious eye disease that affects the macula, the area of tissue located on the back lining of your eye. The disease damages this tissue, often resulting in vision changes that range from blurred vision to blindness. If you have macular degeneration, treatment will not typically restore vision lost to this disease. People with warning signs or risk factors may focus on their diet for prevention. However, some foods, such as red meat, may not have the greatest prevention potential.
Effects
In the early stages of macular degeneration you may notice that you have a blurry spot in your central vision, causing you to have a difficult time reading or recognizing faces. You may also require more light for reading and other detailed work since this could help reduce some of the blurring. In advanced stages, or if bleeding occurs under the macula -- a form of the disease known as wet macular degeneration -- you may have a blind spot in your straight-ahead vision. Wet macular degeneration may also result in changes to the appearance of objects. For example, a streetlight may appear bent or jagged instead of straight. Treatment will not typically restore vision changes that result from macular degeneration.
Red Meat
Red meat includes products such as beef and lamb, and many processed foods also contain sources of red meat. These products may include salami, pepperoni and hamburger. Sources of red meat contain a number of nutrients beneficial to your health. Some of the nutrients found in red meat may also offer some benefits in preventing macular degeneration. These nutrients include vitamin A and zinc. Despite these beneficial nutrients, a diet with high intakes of red meat could increase your risk for high cholesterol levels, which could raise your risk for heart attacks and strokes.
Nutrients
Relying on red meat to provide you with the nutrients your body requires to prevent macular degeneration, as well as to simply maintain your health, will not offer many benefits. Your best protection will come from eating a variety of nutrients, particularly vitamins A, C and E, along with zinc, since research by the National Eye Institute determined that these nutrients might reduce your risk of advanced damage by 25 percent. Other beneficial nutrients may include omega-3 fatty acids, lutein and zeaxanthin.
Considerations
A diet that focuses on red meat will not help you prevent macular degeneration, and this type of diet may increase your risk for health conditions such as high cholesterol. This, in turn, increases your risk for heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. Ask your doctor to help you formulate a diet plan that will offer balanced nutrition and provide you with the nutrients to protect your eyes and your overall health.
