Share We've all heard about a healthy diet and usually think in terms of eating vegetables and fruits and lowering saturated fats.  But, there seems to be another dietary area that needs to be addressed.  Eating low glycemic foods may slow the development and progression of AMD. The glycemic index measures how quickly carbohydrates get glucose (sugar) into the blood stream. People with diabetes will find this familiar. High glycemic foods like potatoes, white rice, processed foods like cakes and crackers and cereal raise the blood glucose level.  Low glycemic foods include vegetables and beans.

Researchers at Tufts University found that mice fed a low glycemic diet developed fewer and less severe age-related lesions in the retina than mice fed the higher GI diet. When lesions like this develop after age 60 in humans, they are the earliest warning sign of age-related macular degeneration.

Earlier studies in humans resulted in similar observations.  Obviously, larger studies are needed to verify this finding.  However, we all know that we should limit our consumption of snack foods and desserts for other health reasons. This just shows such a diet might be best for our vision as well.

November 2011