Age-related macular degeneration is an insidious disease that gradually diminishes a person’s sharp, central vision. It is usually treated with lasers or drugs, although the success rate is not high.

 But a new study shows that you may be able to reduce the risk of vision loss just by eating the right foods. It turns out that foods such as fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids and actually may help prevent macular degeneration, according to researchers at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

 The team of researchers conducted a comprehensive review of studies on the relationship between omeg-3 fatty acids, which are found most abundantly in oily fish, and supplements, and concluded that in most cases, the more omega-3s a person consumed, the less likely they were to develop age-related macular degeneration.  

While the researchers admit they cannot say for certain whether eating fish and taking omega-3 supplements prevent age-related macular degeneration, scientists and nutritional experts are beginning to envision a brighter future.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.

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