Colourful food increases vision for AMD patients

Consuming dark-coloured fruits and vegetables increases the levels of macular pigment (MP) and is associated with improved vision in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) sufferers, according to study results published in the New Straits Times Online on September 22.

The pilot study, conducted by the outpatient clinic of the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences department at Alexandra Hospital in Singapore, measured the levels of MP in subjects aged ≥50 years (n=60; AMD, n=46) and found that high levels of MP were associated with better vision.

The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, of which MP is composed, must be consumed and cannot be synthesized by the eye. The pigments occur in fruit and vegetables including pumpkin, green leafy vegetables, oranges and kiwi fruit.