Omega-3 fatty acids found to lower risk of macular degeneration by up to 42 percent

Sticking to a diet that includes a lot of fish - and omega-3 fatty acids - has been linked to a drastically reduced chance of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in women. This could be a key to having a great retirement living, as AMD can make vision blurry and indistinct. Many who have advanced cases of it are unable to drive.


After studying questionnaires detailing 38,022 women's eating habits, researchers concluded that one of the most important elements to the diet is fish.

Participants who had one or more servings each week had a 42 percent lower risk of developing the condition.


This could be especially good news for tuna-lovers, as the authors wrote that the risk "appeared to be due primarily to consumption of canned tuna fish and dark-meat fish."


Simply eating foods that are rich in DHA and EPA, or one of the two, can also have benefits. Women who consumed the most of these nutrients were found to have a 38 percent lower chance of developing the disease.


The National Eye Institute states that age-related macular degeneration is a common disease. There are two different variations, dry and wet AMD. Wet AMD can be treated through laser surgery, injections and photodynamic therapy. Dry AMD is much harder to treat.


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