Allen Taylor, Ph.D., is director of the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University.
As part of its work, Dr. Taylor’s laboratory has performed data analysis of food intake and ophthalmologic exam records from the 2001 Age-Related Eye-Disease Study (AREDS) to learn more about diet and its potential to prevent or delay retina diseases causing vision loss in older adults. Results of their observational studies suggest age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and its associated vision loss may be connected to the quality of carbohydrates, according to the glycemic index, that an individual consumes. Refined grains, like white bread and pasta are examples of higher glycemic index foods while whole grains and vegetables tend to have a low glycemic index.
More specifically, a study Dr. Taylor published in a 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported men and women who consumed a higher glycemic index diet than average for their gender and age-group were at greater risk of developing advanced AMD. In a 2009 British Journal of Ophthalmology study, Dr. Taylor and colleagues observed that the combination of the AREDS supplement, low glycemic index diet and higher intakes of certain Omega-3 fatty acids appeared to lower the risk of progression to both the wet and dry forms of advanced AMD.
As the population ages, identifying modifiable risk factors for the currently-incurable AMD is increasingly important. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) predicts the number of older Americans with AMD will jump from 1.8 million to almost 3 million by 2020.
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