Basil H. Bloom BSc(Hons) FCOptom

Optometrist

Orthokeratologist.

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AGE RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

[AMD]

AND

SPINACH

WHAT IS IT?

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the Western World. It is a bilateral disease, the average age of visual loss in the
first eye being 65 years with about a 12% incidence of involvement of the second eye each year.

There are two types:

Non-exudative AMD. This is the most common type and causes a gradual impairment of vision.

Exudative AMD. Central Vision loss is sudden and complete.

PRESENT TREATMENT.

Non-exudative AMD. There is presently no effective treatment.

Exudative AMD. In some cases laser treatment can prevent further deterioration if the patient is seen within hours of the initial occurrence.

RECENT RESEARCH.

In an American paper1, a link between the consumption of spinach and a reduction in the incidence of AMD has been established. In those people eating more than two cups of spinach a week there was a 43% reduction in the incidence of AMD.

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?

There are two chemicals in spinach which are also used in the eye to produce a yellow pigment. We think that this pigment filters out blue light preventing photic damage to the retina. If this pigment layer is reduced in old age then, by replacing the chemicals by eating spinach, it will be reformed.

IS IT TRUE?

The research paper was a very comprehensive piece of work.

The results were statistically significant and backed up by a
plausible biological explanation.Further research into this matter is being undertaken but it will take a number of years before it can be proved conclusively.

As there is no effective alternative treatment at the moment I think that it is sensible to start to eat spinach just in case the research is correct.

WHAT CAN I DO?

If you increase your consumption of spinach then you should reduce your chances of developing AMD.

The optimum amount is a half cup, five times a week.
As far as I can ascertain, any form of spinach will do.

WHAT HAVE I GOT TO LOSE?

Nothing!

I do not think that the recommended amount of spinach will do you any harm at all. Even if it is later shown that it does not reduce the incidence of AMD, you have still had the benefit of increasing your green vegetable consumption.

REMEMBER

Popeye was right!

EAT HALF A CUP OF SPINACH

FIVE TIMES A WEEK

Acknowledgement. Many thanks to Prof. R. Welbourn for bringing the original paper to my attention.

Reference. 1 Seddon JM Ajani UA Sperduto RD Hiller R Blair N Burton TC Farber MD Gragoudas ES Haller J Miller DT et al.
Dietary carotenoids, vitamins A, C, and E, and advanced age-related macular degeneration. Eye Disease Case-Control Study Group In: JAMA (1994 Nov 9) 272(18):1413-20