In Brief: Antioxidants in food may help prevent macular degeneration
In Brief
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of vision loss in the United States, is a progressive disease that affects the macula, the area of the eye that's responsible for central vision. In 2001, a large clinical trial — the Age-Related Eye Disease Study — reported that a supplement containing high doses of zinc and the antioxidants beta carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E slowed the progression of AMD by 25% in people who had advanced disease. One study suggests that eating a diet chock-full of these same nutrients might actually help prevent it.
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