Spinach & Broccoli may ward off blindness

[Guest guest]

Popeye: the world's most famous spinach fan

Spinach, noted for making cartoon sailor Popeye strong, may also help

to ward off a common cause of blindness.

A team at the University of Manchester believe eating the vegetable

may protect the eyes from age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

 

Their theory is based on the fact that spinach, and several other

vegetables, contain lutein, a chemical which helps form a key

protective eye pigment.

 

The Manchester team plan a study to test their theory.

 

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in western society, and is

thought to affect up to 12% of men and 29% of women over the age of

75 in the UK.

 

It is caused by degeneration of the macula, a small area of the

retina responsible for seeing detail and colour in the central field

of vision.

 

Scientists do not yet understand why some people are susceptible, but

do know that the disease is linked to smoking, obesity and poor diet.

 

 

Spinach is highly nutritious

 

Lutein is found in sweetcorn, kale and broccoli, as well as spinach.

 

Together with another related chemical called zeaxanthin, it forms an

oily yellow substance, called macular pigment, which is thought to

protect the macula from AMD.

 

The Manchester team are launching a study on early-stage sufferers of

AMD to try to pin down whether premature visual impairment is linked

to low levels of macular pigment.

 

Lead researcher Dr Ian Murray said: " Our work has already found

strong evidence to suggest that macular pigment provides some

protection against AMD, but we want to discover whether eating

vegetables rich in these chemicals will have a direct impact on the

disease.

 

" Since macular pigment is wholly derived from our diet we would

expect that eating foods containing high levels of these compounds

increases macular pigment and so helps slow the degenerative

process. "

 

Dr Murray's lab has developed a lightweight instrument that can

measure the levels of lutein and zeaxanthin.