Daily 200 g of vegetables, two pieces of fruit and fish twice a week, the risk of chronic eye disease ‘age-related macular degeneration’ can almost split. Even people who are inherited with the disease can reduce the risk.

Age-related macular degeneration (LMD) is a chronic eye disease, so patients see a gray spot in the middle of their field of vision. It is the principal reason of blindness among the elderly in the Western world. The risk of the disease increases at a later age. At the age of 70, about 15 percent of the elderly have the disease.

Despite the fact that there is currently no treatment that cures the disease, people can still positively influence this risk and thus prevent blindness at a later age, according to the study. With a diet that contains many antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, people can reduce the risk of the disease in later life to 42 percent. Vitamin pills with lutein and zeaxanthin can also help.

The researchers followed 4,200 participants aged 55 and older. The study shows that there are positive consequences after ten to fifteen years. Eat twice a week oily fish, such as mackerel, salmon, tuna or sardines because of the omega-3 fatty acids. And every day 200 grams of fruit and 200 grams of vegetables.

Eat green leafy vegetables: spinach, lamb’s lettuce and kale and red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, including sweet peppers. These vegetables contain antioxidants called lutein and zeaxanthin.

Your body makes macular pigment: a protective factor in your retina. But only 3.5 percent of ERGO participants seem to eat enough fatty fish, vegetables, and fruit. It is necessary for everyone, both patients and healthy people who later become patients, to know that you can partly influence developments with healthy eating behavior.