Reflections on sight loss - RNIB

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Eye health Food for thought – and sight Radhika Holmström looks at the latest findings on the way that diet affects vision “It’s surprising that so many people don’t realise that what we eat may affect the health of our eyes. Most of us are aware of the link between a poor diet and conditions such as heart disease, but sadly we often take our eye health for granted” Dr Rob Hogan, president of the College of Optometrists Research conducted by the College of Optometrists has found that two out of three respondents (out of over 2,000) did not realise there was any connection between diet and eyesight. Is Dr Hogan’s surprise really justified? After all, we’re bombarded with messages – often conflicting ones – about what we should and should not be eating for good health in general. Fat, carbohydrates, salt and fibre are all the subject of hot debate. The way we eat now The most recent National Diet and Nutrition survey (commissioned by the Departments of Health for England, Wales and Scotland, along with the Food Standards Agency) suggests that the ‘five a day’ message for fruit and vegetable intake still has not sunk in for many people. Only 13 per cent of men and 15 per cent of women consumed the recommended amount. Indeed, 21 per cent of men and 15 per cent of women actually ate no fruit at all during the seven days that the survey took place. Although older people do appear to be eating slightly more fruit and vegetables than young ones, even people in the 50 to 64 age group were only averaging under four portions a day. Confusion about what this recommendation covers certainly doesn’t help. In reality, however, the ‘five a day’ campaign was And despite Hogan’s assertion that most of us are aware of the links between diet and health, many people are still remarkably reluctant to put that knowledge into practice. In many ways, it would be more surprising if the average person did realise that food and eye health were related – and even more surprising if they followed this up by eating appropriately. 40
Food for thought – and sight Five a day The ‘five a day’ recommendation is often confusing. Some of the important points are: ● Fresh, cooked, tinned and frozen produce all count. ● One glass of juice counts, but it should be pressed rather than made from concentrate. Further glasses won’t count, because juice has very little fibre and is high in sugar. ● One serving of pulses (such as lentils and chickpeas) count, and this includes baked beans. Further servings won’t count, because pulses do not have the same nutrient mix as other vegetables. They are a good source of low-fat protein, though. ● Potatoes don’t count at all, as they are considered to be a source of carbohydrate rather than of vegetable nutrients. Links: www.5aday.nhs.uk introduced mainly as a convenient hook for raising fruit and vegetable consumption. Pretty well all dieticians recommend that five should be a minimum. And this only serves to underline the fact that, as a nation, we simply aren’t eating many fruit and vegetables. On the other hand, we are making a conscious effort to cut down on red meat, and older people are leading the way. Following a report from the World Cancer Research Fund in 2007, which linked these to an increased risk of cancer, a report from the same organisation a year later showed that one in 10 people had made an effort to reduce their red meat intake. Eyes in particular Cutting down on red meat is good news for eye health. The most common cause of blindness in the UK is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the only eye condition that has substantiated links with diet – and this was the subject of the research by the College of Optometrists. The researchers from the University of Melbourne followed 5,600 middle-aged people for 13 years and found that those eating red meat 10 times a week were nearly one and a half times as likely to have early AMD than those who ate it fewer than five times. In addition, those who ate chicken frequently – at least seven times a fortnight – were significantly less likely to have developed late AMD. This was only a first study. But it is significant in that it supports wider evidence that a ‘Mediterranean diet’ – high in fruit and vegetables and oily fish, low in red meat – is as effective in cutting the risk of AMD as it is in cutting the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancers. Another study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, June 2009, backs up these findings – and even suggests that these fatty acids can slow (or in some cases halt) the progress of AMD. ➜ 41
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