Age-related macular degeneration is one of the top causes of vision loss.
Recipe photo: Ali Redmond.
They published their findings inNutrients.Heres what they found.
Photo:Recipe photo: Ali Redmond. EatingWell design.
How Was This Study Conducted?
This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
Observational studies are those in which researchers simply observe associations between factorslike diet and diseases.
In other words, they dont randomly split participants up into groups, and theres no control group involved.
Researchers wanted to know if there was any relationship between the Mediterranean diet and AMD.
Sample sizes within these eight studies varied from 164 to 4,996 participants with ages ranging from 55 to 80.
On average, over half were female.
Drusen are yellow protein and lipid deposits that build up under the retina.
What Did This Study Find?
After collecting all the necessary data and running several statistical analyses, three primary results surfaced.
First, the cross-sectional studies showed no significant association between the Mediterranean diet and AMD.
Weight distribution in a study refers to how the study populations weight or BMI is distributed across different categories.
The other two types of observational studies, however, showed strong associations between the Mediterranean diet and AMD.
How Does This Apply to Real Life?
Regarding our eyes, two carotenoids are especially helpful for eye and vision healthlutein and zeaxanthin.
It also found a link between the Mediterranean diet and reduced AMD progression by up to 34%.
To start small, start swapping individual foods from the Mediterranean diet into your routine.
Over time, these small swaps may add up to big health changes.
And if youre ready to go all in, give one of ourMediterranean diet meal plansa try.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About common eye disorders and diseases.
National Institutes of Health.
National Eye Institute.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
National Institutes of Health.
National Eye Institute.Keep your eyes healthy.
2025; 17(6).
