While optometrists have an awareness of the impact nutrition can have on eye health as it relates to macular degeneration, dietitian Clare Barrett has written an article to assist optometrists in giving up to date advice to patients. Following is a summary of the article.

Diabetes:

• dietary advice for diabetics a specialized area of dietetics, and is well beyond the scope of practice of an optometrist
• optometrists can reinforce the key message of diabetics earing low-GI foods regularly, but should encourage patients to see a dietitian if they haven’t already

Hypertension (high blood pressure):

• hypertension increases the risk of glaucoma, and in diabetics, retinopathy
• a reduction in salt intake can reduce blood pressure, and can be the result of avoiding high-salt savoury snacks, take-away foods and processed meats

Dry eye:

• one study showed that patients who took three standard 1,000mg fish oil capsules and one standard 1,000mg flaxseed oil capsules daily had a reduction of dry eye symptoms
• higher dietary omega-3 intake reduces the incidence of dry eye in a study on women

Cataracts:

• there is no reliable evidence showing that any nutritional supplements such as antioxidants or multivitamins slow the progression of or reduce the risk of cataracts

Alcohol excess:

• excessive alcohol leads to night blindness, as it prevents vitamin A utilisation; vitamin A being a key component to our night vision

Macular degeneration:

• choose margarine over butter and using all fats sparingly
• a higher intake of omega-3 and a lower intake of omega-6 fatty acids may reduce the progression of macular degeneration
• a high intake of processed baked goods is association with a worsening progression of macular degeneration
• ginko biloba may reduce progression of macular degeneration

More on macular degeneration – AREDS and AREDS 2 studies – it is also worth noting that results of the AREDS 2 study were published in May 2013. The original study, published in 2001 showed that for people at high risk of developing advanced macular degeneration, the risk was reduced by about 20% when treated with a combination of Vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and zinc. There were concerns about the increased risk of lung cancer in smokers and former smokers due to the beta carotene.

In the AREDS 2 study, the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin were substituted for beta carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids were also added. The study found that while omega-3 fatty acids had no effect on the formulation, the combination of lutein and zeaxanthin appeared to be a safe alternative to beta-carotene.