Carbohydrates linked to macular degeneration.A low glycemic-index diet, which suppresses the release of blood sugar, may reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) Degeneration of the macula (the central part of the retina where the rods and cones are most dense) that leads to loss of central vision in people over 60. , according to a recent report. * Researchers gathered data from more than 4,000 participants in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study The Age-Related Eye Disease Study was a clinical trial sponsored by the National Eye Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health in the United States. The study was designed to n. An index that measures the ability of a given food to elevate blood sugar. glycemic index, n had the lowest prevalence of macular degeneration macular degeneration, eye disorder causing loss of central vision. The affected area, the macula, lies at the back of the retina and is the part that produces the sharpest vision. , which is a major cause of irreversible blindness and appears to be linked to several diabetes-related diseases including those of the eyes and heart. Furthermore, the scientists estimated that as many as 20% of cases of macular degeneration could have been prevented if the study participants had consumed diets with a glycemic index below the median. "These cross-sectional analyses suggest that poor dietary carbohydrate quality as defined by dietary glycemic index, a modifiable risk factor, may increase the risk of [macular degeneration] through several common etiologic factors of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, including the formation of advanced glycation end products and increases in oxidative stress, inflammation, and hyperlipidemia hyperlipidemia /hy·per·lip·id·emia/ (-lip?i-de´me-ah) elevated concentrations of any or all of the lipids in the plasma, including hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, etc. ," wrote the researchers. Reference * Chiu CJ, Milton RC, Gensler G, Taylor A. Association between dietary glycemic index and age-related macular degeneration in nondiabetic participants in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jul;86(1):180-8. --Marc Ellman, MD |
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