HEALTH UPDATE: vitamin-rich diet cuts risk of vision malady

A vitamin-rich diet lowers the risk of contracting macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness among the elderly in developed countries, researchers said on December 27.
The antioxidant properties of vitamins C and E, beta carotene and zinc were found to ward off macular degeneration, in which abnormal blood cells grow in the eye and leak blood and fluid that damage the center of the retina and blur central vision.
Sufferers are often debilitated and unable to read, recognise faces or drive, and the condition worsens with age. It affects more than one out of 10 white adults over the age of 80, and is the leading cause of severe vision loss in Americans 60 and older.
There is no cure, although an earlier study found taking high doses of vitamin supplements could slow the condition's progression.