Nutritional Support for Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration (MD) is a leading cause of blindness among adults, especially those of European heritage. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health suggests that nutritional supplementation may be effective in reducing the onset of advanced symptoms by as much as 25%. The study noted that while there was no evidence that supplements helped to prevent MD in otherwise healthy people, those with intermediate age-related macular degeneration or advanced age-related macular degeneration in one eye should consider taking a daily supplement regimen consisting of 15mg beta-carotene, 500mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin E, 80mg zinc and 2mg copper. The supplement program appeared to be successful in preventing the development of advanced age-related macular degeneration in the test group by 25%.