Incidence of age-related degenerative eye conditions is on the rise in the United States, as the country’s population skews older. However, Victoria Shanta Retely reported for the Sun Sentinel on the effects of age on vision and some positive news about the role of nutrition. She noted eye health is contingent upon multiple factors, and risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—the leading cause of vision in older adults—include older age, smoking, obesity, family history and gender.
Fortunately, she reported, certain nutrients can serve as “sunscreen" for the eyes, fighting the oxidative damage induced by blue light ultraviolet (UV) rays. In particular, Retely cited the ongoing research on the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), out of Tufts University, which originally found a combination of antioxidant vitamins and minerals—vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, zinc and copper—could fight the development of AMD. Taking high potency antioxidants and/or zinc actually reduced the incidence of AMD by 25 percent, possibly by reducing oxidative stress.