An orange a day helps prevent AMD

Pubblicato il

Monday, 3 September 2018

Argomento

Retina

Australian study proves the usefulness of citrus fruit bioflavonoids.

Oranges appear to have an important protective role against ocular degenerative diseases, according to the results of a large study by a team of researchers from the Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and the Westmead Institute for Medical Research in Sydney, Australia, led by Prof. Bamini Gopinath.
The Australian researchers analysed interview data from more than 2,000 adult Australians, aged over 50 years, over a total period of 15 years.
The results of the analysis show that people who eat oranges regularly are less likely to develop Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
More specifically, those who consume at least one serving of oranges every day, either as fruit or juice, have a 60% lower risk of developing AMD than those who do not regularly take these citrus fruits in their diet.
The substances that perform this important preventive action have been identified in flavonoids and the beneficial effect seems to be maintained even in those who eat oranges once a week.
This is the first research to specifically focus on the effect of flavonoids, in which oranges are particularly rich, while previous studies have focused on the benefits of vitamins A, E and C and carotenoids.
High flavonoid contents are also found in tea, apples and red wine, although the study data did not reveal a similar protective effect on the eyes.
In Australia, at least one in seven Australians over the age of 50 shows the first signs of AMD. Age is recognised as the primary cause of this degenerative disease, to which genetic and environmental factors are combined with the effects of oxidative stress induced by the metabolic processes themselves.