A vitamin-rich diet lowers the risk of contracting macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness among the elderly in developed countries, researchers said on Tuesday. The antioxidant properties of Vitamins C, E, beta-carotene and zinc were found to ward off macular degeneration, in which abnormal blood cells grow in the eye and leak blood and fluid that damages the center of the retina and blurs central vision. Sufferers are often debilitated and unable to read, recognize faces or drive, and the condition worsens with age. It affects more than one out of 10 white adults over the age 80, and is the leading cause of severe vision loss in Americans 60 and older. There is no cure, although an earlier study found taking high doses of vitamin supplements could slow the condition's progression, Reuters reported. The eight-year study involved more than 4,000 older residents of Rotterdam, Netherlands. It found that those whose diets included more than the median levels of vitamins C and E, beta carotene and zinc had a 35-percent lower risk of developing macular degeneration, compared with those whose diet provided a below-median level of any of the four nutrients. --More 22 23 Local Time 19 23 GMT
