Low-GI diet could protect eyesight from AMD
Eating a diet with a low glycaemic index (GI) could delay the onset of age-related macular degeneration, which can cause people to lose their sight.According to research from experts in the US, diets with a low GI are better for eye health.
Studying mice, the team found that those fed a high GI diet rich in carbohydrates that break down quickly and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream were more likely to have age-related lesions on their retinas.
These lesions are typically a warning sign of the development of AMD, explained Dr Allen Taylor, director of the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.
"To our knowledge, we have established the first mature, mammalian model indicating a delay in the development of AMD-like lesions as the result of a lower GI diet," he said.
"The only difference between the two groups of mice we studied is the GI of their meals, which suggests that diet alone is enough to accelerate or delay the formation of lesions."
