What is macular degeneration?
Brown-bagging a tuna sandwich and steaming salmon for dinner a couple of times per week can cut the risk -- and stop the progress of -- age-related macular degeneration (AMD), three recent studies reveal.
What is age-related macular degeneration?
AMD refers to the gradual damage of the central part of the retina called the macula. With AMD, central vision becomes blurry and you can no longer see fine details -- this affects reading, driving and your ability to see faces.
But AMD does not mean blindness, notes Dr. Keith Gordon, vice president of research for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. "AMD is not a death sentence. It's life-changing but not life-threatening," he explains. About one million Canadians, most older than 50, have the degenerative disease -- more than breast cancer, prostate cancer, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease combined.
Wet and dry age-related macular degeneration
Two forms of AMD exist: wet and dry. The wet form, also known as advanced AMD, accounts for only 10 to 15 percent of all macular degeneration cases, but for 90 per cent of vision loss, and quickly occurs.
The dry form, which accounts for 85 to 90 per cent of macular degeneration, progresses in stages and may take years before a person sees a blurred spot (intermediate AMD) and suffers vision loss (advanced Dry AMD). Dry AMD can turn into wet AMD.
How fish can fight age-related macular degeneration
According to a study published in the June issue of the British journal Ophthalmology, people who ate a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish such as tuna, mackerel, herring and salmon, were 25 percent less likely to progress to advanced wet or dry AMD.
Those with advanced AMD who also followed a low-GI diet and ate foods high in vitamins C and E and in nutrients like zinc and lutein (found in spinach and kale) lowered the progression by about 50 per cent. Researchers suspect the omega-3 may protect against AMD by altering the blood's damaging fat levels.
