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Eat Lots of Vegetables and Fruits
Antioxidants are protective for AMD. Dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, mustard greens and collard greens contain high levels of lutein, a critical antioxidant. Antioxidants are also present in fruits and vegetables with bright color, including red grapes, peppers, corn, oranges, cantaloupe and mango. Look for fresh produce in a variety of colors to get a wide range of vitamins in your diet.

Eat 5-9 servings a day. While this may sound like a lot, a serving is really only ½ cup of most foods or one cup of leafy greens.

Eat Fish Twice a Week
People who eat fish 2-3 times a week have a lower risk for AMD. Fish contain omego-3 which seems to be a critical nutrient for the heart and eyes. The best fish are either wild salmon or small fish like sardines. If you cannot tolerate fish or obtain it easily, an omega-3 supplement is another option. Fish oil capsules are widely available.

Get Some Exercise
Pump up your cardiovascular system by getting exercise at least three days a week.

Protect Your Eyes From Exposure to Harmful Sunlight
Ultraviolet light and blue light can damage your retina and may increase your chances of developing macular degeneration. They can also speed up its development. Therefore, it is extremely important to protect your eyes when you are out of doors.

Wear a hat or visor whenever you are outside, even on overcast days. Ultraviolet light passes through cloud cover and is just as dangerous as direct sunlight.

Look for sunglasses that screen 99-100% of ultraviolet A and B rays. Recent research points to blue light (the short wavelengths of the light spectrum) as an even more damaging factor. To be on the safe side, try to find glasses that guard against both ultraviolet rays and bluelight. A certain percentage of sunglasses are mislabeled, so always buy sunglasses from a reputable dealer. Your optician can check your glasses to measure the UV protection.

Most glasses allow some direct sunlight to enter from the top and sides of the frame. There are sunglasses designed specifically for macular degeneration that include side panels and a ridge at the top of the glasses so that all light is filtered. The most helpful colors for blocking out blue light are red, orange, yellow and amber. Because glare is often a problem for people with AMD, choose this protection carefully. You can also have your regular glasses treated with ultraviolet protection - a clear coating that will not interfere with your sight.

Get Some Sunglasses
Here are some reputable sunglass manufacturers:

• Fitovers
  
• NoIR
  
• Solar Shields
  
• BluBlocker
  
• Cocoons Low Vision
  

Ask Your Doctor About Supplements
If you have intermediate AMD already, your doctor may recommend taking a supplement that has been proven to slow the progression and vision loss from AMD. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) was a 10 year study of 3500 people with AMD. The supplement contains:

• 500 mg Vitamin C
  
• 400 IU Vitamin E
  
• 15 mg Betacarotene
  
• 80 mg zinc
  
• 2 mg copper

The AREDS formula did not prevent AMD and was not effective in people with early AMD. But for those with intermediate AMD, it slowed the progression by 25% and slowed the vision loss by 19%. This is a high dose vitamin, so you should only take it if your doctor recommends it. You should also inform all your doctors of every supplement or herbal remedy you use.