Three simple ways to prevent age-related macular degeneration

As you age, there are a few basic health screenings you should never neglect—and a yearly eye exam is one of them.

That’s because a yearly eye exam is the only way to detect age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of vision loss in people over age 50.

But if you’re worried about getting this devasting news at your next appointment, I have good news. There are three simple, doctor-approved ways you can prevent and even reverse AMD starting today…

The virtues of a vision-saving diet

When it comes to AMD prevention, Dr. Fred Pescatore zeros in on the ideal starting point: diet.

He says, “As with most health issues, I can’t overstate the importance of diet in preventing and treating AMD. I’ve had overwhelming success in helping patients reverse and halt the degeneration of their macula through a well-designed diet.

“So I wasn’t surprised when I saw this recent study extolling the virtues of diet in vision health.”

The study compared vision health with the eating habits of nearly 900 people over the age of 55. Results showed that certain dietary choices can dramatically reduce AMD risk. Dr. Pescatore has taken these results to create these three simple steps to help you steer clear of AMD:

  1. Eat Mediterranean

Dr. Pescatore notes that if it seems like all roads to health lead to the Mediterranean diet, it’s with good reason.

He says, “More and more research points to Mediterranean-style diets—which emphasize fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, healthy fats, fish, and moderate amounts of red meat and butter—as the foundation of good health. And eye health is no exception.”

In the study he cited above, researchers found that participants who most closely followed Mediterranean dietary choices had a 35 percent lower risk of developing AMD than those who did not follow the Mediterranean diet.

  1. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables

This step goes hand-in-hand with the Mediterranean diet, of course, and that’s reflected in the study results. Participants who ate the most fruit (about 5 ounces or more per day) were 15 percent less likely to develop AMD.

Dr. Pescatore notes that this makes sense because fruits are rich in antioxidants, which are essential for eye health. But he believes the results would have been even better if the study volunteers had gotten their antioxidants from vegetables and other “low sugar” sources instead of fruit.

In his view, the health risks of sugar (whether it’s natural in fruits or refined in processed foods) hamper the benefits of antioxidants.

  1. Have a cup of coffee

Many people mistakenly consider coffee a vice, but in this study, those who drank higher amounts of caffeine (equivalent to about one shot of espresso per day) were less likely to develop AMD.

But Dr. Pescatore adds this caveat: “There’s no need to feel guilty about your morning cup of coffee—just be sure to ditch the sugar!” This is an issue that he feels very strongly about. He says that whether you choose to cut candy bars or bananas out of your diet (or both!), kicking the sugar habit should be considered a top priority in preserving your vision.

In addition to these three steps, Dr. Pescatore notes that it’s also important to get therapeutic amounts of the nutrients that fight off AMD, which requires the use of targeted supplements.

“In addition to diet,” he says, “a few carefully selected nutrients can help you stop AMD—or at least slow it down.”

You can learn about Dr. Pescatore’s specific nutrient recommendations for AMD prevention and general vision support, along with suggested supplements and dosages, in his Ageless Vision Protocol.

Click here to enroll today, or to learn more about this one-of-a-kind protocol.