The Hindu News Update Service
News Update Service
Saturday, June 20, 2009 : 0300 Hrs
Health
Antioxidants can slow 'blindness'
London (PTI): Want to retain your sight as you age? Well, eat a diet full of
fruit and vegetables daily, say researchers.
A new study, led by Indian-origin scientist Usha Chakravarthy of Queen's
University in Belfast, has revealed that antioxidants found in fruit and
vegetables
may slow down sight loss in many elderly people.
Age-related muscular regeneration (AMD), an incurable eye disease which causes
blurring of central vision, affect a number of aged people across the world.
For their study, the researchers developed a new antioxidant supplement and
tested it on more than 400 people across Ireland to check whether nutritional
supplements helped sharpen vision.
The subjects, with an average age of 77, took part in clinical trials
investigating whether rich antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables could
prevent
progression to the more serious late AMD.
The study showed the intake of high levels preserved the muscular pigments,
slowing down the progression from early AMD to late AMD. In contrast, muscular
pigments of participants in a group given placebos declined steadily.
"These findings are important as this is the first randomised controlled
clinical trial to document a beneficial effect via improved function and
maintained
muscular pigment.
"Further research is needed to confirm these findings and to identify the
numbers needed to treat to prevent one case from progressing from early to late
AMD," Chakravarthy was quoted by The Daily Telegraph as saying.
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