Researchers from the University of Coimbra in Portugal have found those who follow a fruit-rich Mediterranean diet may cut their risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by more than a third.
The study, which was recently presented at the 2016 meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AMD), studied 883 people ages 55 and older in Portugal and found only 39 percent of those who closely followed a Mediterranean diet had AMD, while 50 percent of those who did not follow the diet had the disease.
Researchers also found those who ate higher levels of fruit were significantly less likely to have AMD. Of study participants that consumed about five ounces of fruit a day, 54.5 percent did not have AMD and 45.5 percent had AMD.
This study was also reportedly the first to identify caffeine has a possible protective against AMD. Researchers found of those who consumed high levels of caffeine — about 78 mg a day — 54.4 percent did not have AMD and 45.1 percent did have AMD.
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Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology