Eating Fatty Fish May Help Seniors Lower Their Risk Of Serious Eye Disease

Older adults who consume fatty fish on a regular basis may have a lower risk of suffering vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration, a debilitating condition affecting nearly 2 million Americans over the age of 65, according to a new study.

A research team from Johns Hopkins University recruited more than 2,500 men and women between the ages of 65 and 84 and had them complete dietary questionnaires and undergo eye examinations, Reuters Health reports.

Of this group a total of 15 percent were diagnosed with early-stage macular degeneration while 3 percent were found to have a more advanced stage of the disease that is often accompanied by severe vision loss.

Although the researchers did not identify a link between diet and the overall incidence of macular degeneration, they did discover that older adults who consumed fatty fish at least once a week had a 60 percent lower risk of developing an advanced form of the disease, compared to those who rarely ate fish.

Several earlier studies have suggested that people can reduce their risk of developing age-related macular degeneration by eating healthy, exercising and taking supplements rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene, zinc and copper.