Vision can be maintained with functional food intake.
Blindness could be prevented for many by a diet rich in functional food containing omega 3 fatty acids, says new research.
A group led by Dr Chi-Chao Chan at the National Eye Institute in Bethesda found that adding functional ingredients, such as fish oil, to food could help reduce a leading cause of blindness among elderly people.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and loss of vision from retinal damage affects around one in ten people aged 66 to 74 years old.
Previous studies also found that omega 3 fatty acids may help to protect against a number of diseases including atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.
To continue their work the group plans to use its findings to investigate other ways in which AMD could be treated or prevented.
The group's research was originally published in the American Journal of Pathology.
As the official journal of the American Society for Investigative Pathology it seeks to publish high-quality, original papers on the cellular and molecular biology of disease.
