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Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors
Pigments in Corn, Squash and other Vegetables Help
Protect Against Age-Related Vision Loss
The carotenoids fight
age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
 August 14, 2006 – Women, at least those younger
than age 75, who eat diets rich in the yellow plant pigments lutein and
zeaxanthin may have a reduced risk of developing the eye disease
age-related macular degeneration, according to a report in the August
issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurs when
the macula, the area at the back of the retina that produces the
sharpest vision, deteriorates over time. The condition is the leading
cause of blindness in aging Americans, according to background
information in the article.
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There is no cure for AMD and limited treatment
options are available to slow its progression, so research on preventive
measures is essential.
Previous studies have suggested a potential link
between AMD and lutein and zeaxanthin, plant pigments known as
carotenoids and found in leafy green vegetables, corn, egg yolks,
squash, broccoli and peas. These compounds may reduce the risk of AMD by
absorbing blue light that could damage the macula, by preventing free
radicals from damaging eye cells and by strengthening eye cell
membranes.
Suzen M. Moeller, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin,
Madison, and colleagues with the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease
Study (CAREDS) Research Study Group, assessed the effects of dietary
lutein plus zeaxanthin in 1,787 women ages 50 to 79 years in Iowa,
Wisconsin and Oregon.
The women with the highest and lowest dietary
intakes of lutein and zeaxanthin in the Women's Health Initiative, a
large study of postmenopausal women that began between 1994 and 1998,
were recruited to participate in CAREDS.
At the beginning of the study, participants filled
out a questionnaire to evaluate what their diets were like 15 years
before the beginning of the study. Blood samples were taken to assess
levels of carotenoids and color photographs of the retina were used to
determine the presence and progression of AMD.
A higher intake of lutein plus zeaxanthin was
associated with a lower risk of intermediate-stage AMD in women younger
than age 75 years who had a stable intake of the carotenoids over the
15-year period and did not have previous AMD or a chronic disease, such
as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or hypertension, that might alter
their dietary habits.
However, no significant difference was observed in
the overall group of women or when comparing lutein and zeaxanthin
levels in the blood to AMD occurrence. There was a weak association
between dietary lutein plus zeaxanthin and advanced-stage AMD in all the
women and in women younger than age 75 years.
The lack of a link between intake of carotenoids
and AMD in the overall study group could be due to several factors,
including the fact that the older women who participated in the study
may have been more likely to have consumed higher levels of fruits and
vegetables during their lifetimes than other older adults who have
already died. Many nutrients may work together to provide protection
against AMD, and the study may not have measured other dietary deficits
that influence risk, the authors write.
"This exploratory observation is consistent with a
broad body of evidence from observational and experimental studies that
suggests that these carotenoids may protect against AMD," they conclude.
"Still, given the numerous analyses performed in
this study, our results could be due to chance. More conclusive evidence
from long-term prospective studies and clinical trials is needed to
determine whether the intake of macular carotenoids themselves, or as
markers of broader dietary patterns, can protect against intermediate
AMD or delay progression in individuals who have early stages of the
disease."
Editor's Note: This research was supported by
National Institutes of Health grants and by Research to Prevent
Blindness. Please see the article for additional information, including
other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial
disclosures, funding and support, etc.
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