Diets that Can Help Macular Degeneration

Those who suffer macular degeneration never loose their peripheral vision. They do, however, lose the ability to see clearly those things that are right in front of them. Even loved ones can vanish from the field of vision of someone with macular degeneration.

A person who can not view those closest to him (or to her) and the person who can no longer enjoy a favorite pastime can become very depressed. Fears of that depression are reason enough to examine the foods that can help to prevent macular degeneration. What type of diet can help to hold-off the arrival of this feared eye disorder?

While there are two types of macular degeneration, there are many different foods that can help to prevent the changes that cause macular degeneration. Foods that are rich in particular vitamins and minerals hamper the accumulation of any item that might cause macular degeneration.

The foods that do the best job of preventing macular degeneration are those that limit the accumulation of fat in the macula of the eye. When fat collects where the eye has a particular group of light-sensing cells, the patient is said to have dry macular degeneration. If blood vessels form in the same region, the patient is said to have wet macular degeneration.

Both wet and dry forms of this disease can be averted (or delayed) by a proper diet. As stated above, that diet should include plenty of vitamins and minerals. Yet not every vitamin has the same capacity to fight macular degeneration. Not every mineral protects the macula of a senior citizen.

Two special minerals work together to stave-off the changes that can lead to macular degeneration. They are lutein and zeaxanthrin. Those minerals can be found in yellow vegetables, such as corn and yellow squash. Broccoli and spinach are also a source of those two minerals.