A diet that includes vitamin D, betaine and methionine can help to lower your risk of developing macular degeneration (AMD). A study of identical twins conducted by the Tuft Medical Center also supports the assertion that smoking increases one’s chance of getting AMD.
AMD tends to run in families, and this opportunity to look at twins who exhibit different stages of the disease allowed researchers to zero in on how diet and lifestyle habits affected the condition’s progression.
According to the source of this story, Science Daily, Vitamin D, which is added to many milk products, may reduce the risk of AMD because it has anti-inflammatory properties. Betaine (contained in fish, grains, and spinach) and methionine (found in poultry, fish, and dairy products) both seem to work at the DNA level to slow the progression of the disease.
This study was published in the July 1 issue of Ophthalmology.