I Can See Clearly Now: B Vitamins May Prevent Vision Loss in Older Women, New Study Finds

Age-related macular degeneration, a disease which affects about two million people in the United States, is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in older women. But there may be a glimmer of hope for a people suffering from the condition for which there is no cure.

New medical research finds that taking B vitamins – including B-6, B-12, and folic acid – can dramatically reduce the risk of macular degeneration. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston said their findings represent the first of their kind in preventing macular degeneration. Instead of treating macular degeneration by trying to slow its progression, researchers say they may have uncovered a long-sought cure to prevent the condition from developing.

Macular degeneration is a progressive disease which results in permanent damage to the retina inside the eye. People with the condition find it difficult to focus on a central subject –required to read, drive a car, or recognize faces – but find their peripheral vision is largely unaffected.

Study of Women on B Vitamins

For the study, more than 5,000 women ages 40 and older who took a combination of B vitamins reduced their risk of macular degeneration by more than one-third after seven years, compared to women who did not take the supplements, researchers said.

There were 55 cases of macular degeneration among women taking B vitamins, compared to 82 cases in the group of women not taking the vitamins. Advanced cases of the disease resulting in significant vision loss were also less common among women taking B vitamins (26 cases) compared to women taking placebo pills (44 cases), the researchers said.

Results of the study were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

How Do B Vitamins Fight Mac D?

Researchers said B vitamins work against macular degeneration by lowering levels of homocysteine, an amino acid present it the blood. It is believed that the small blood vessels in the eyes respond better to the effects of B vitamins on homocysteine than larger vessels located elsewhere in the body, according to the researchers.

Over-the-counter supplements billed as vision protectors and include vitamins C and E and zinc have also been associated with slowing the progression of macular degeneration. While the researchers behind the study did not yet recommend taking B vitamins for the prevention of vision loss in the aged, people battling macular degeneration might benefit from adding the supplements to their diet.

Also, foods such as meat, poultry, beans, nuts, fortified cereals, green leafy vegetables, peas, and spinach are natural sources of B vitamins and folic acid that have been shown to help slow macular degeneration.

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