Monday, May 11, 2009

Fish, Olive oil, nuts good for eyes too, studies say

More studies have revealed a lot of things on the vision. If you wish to keep your vision good as the time passes keep fish,olive oil and nuts in your menu but avoid the trans fats.Studies from two different teams published Monday in the Archives of Ophthalmology provide more evidence that these foods -- which contain healthy fats -- can reduce the risk of developing a retina-destroying condition known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).AMD is one of the most common cause of blindness in people beyond 65years.Let me explain what is AMD. AMD occurs when blood vessels or cells in the macula, the central portion of the retina responsible for central vision and seeing sharp detail, begin to break down.In the early stages people will have yellow deposits in the the retina but only a few will progress to late macular degeneration. Major risk factors for its development are age,smoking,genes and the fat intake also.Eating the right kind of fat can decrease the risk like eating a handful of nuts will decrease the risk to 35%.Same as people who take a lots of olive oil in diet are less prone as compared to those who take less than 1ml of olive oil per week.Trans fat as said is bad for AMD and is commonly found in baked and fried food and commonly raises the bad cholesterol or the low density lipoproteins.Well, it makes sense to think that the omega 3 fatty acids will help protect the eye.So eat a plenty of salmon, sardines, mackerel and also nuts and green veggies.Those who are not able to take these must take supplements of fish oil or lutein