Prevent Blindness with Wine Fruit - Many people believe that carrots are the only source of food that have an important function for eye health. However, do you wonder if in fact the grapes have a role no less important for eye health?
Recent research shows, the grapes have the ability to slow or prevent the onset of macular degeneration due to aging (age-related macular degeneration/AMD). Macular degeneration is a condition in which the macula, causing deteriorated visual acuity decline and will likely cause loss of central visual function. The macula is the most vital part of the retina that allows the eye to see fine details in the central visual field.
Researchers believe that antioxidants work that contain in wine has a protective effect. The findings are published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine.
In his research, researchers conducted experiments on mice fed a diet rich in antioxidants (grape). Then the researchers looked at the impact of changes in vision function mice, susceptible to retinal damage.
The results showed that wine consumption provides a dramatic protective effect. A diet high in grapes can prevent oxidative damage in rat retina and blindness.
"The protective effect of wine in this study is extraordinary, because it offers benefits for eyesight in old age even if the wine is consumed at a young age," said Silvia Finnemann PhD, Department of Biological Science from Fordham University, New York, as principal investigator.
Dr. Finnemann noted that these findings show an association between increasing age and decreased vision. "Diet for life which is enriched with natural antioxidants, such as wine, it seems to be a direct benefit to the health and function of the retina," he added.
A diet high in grapes may significantly reduce the accumulation of lipofuscin (oxidized fats triggers the aging process) and to prevent oxidative damage retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), thus ensuring optimum retinal function.
"Preserving the health of the eye should be a major concern along with increasing age. This is good news for consumers of all ages to enjoy the grapes, and these findings add to growing evidence that wine offers a variety of health benefits, continued Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission.