A new study has shown that people who regularly eat oranges are less likely to develop macular degeneration (黄斑变性) than people who do not eat oranges. Researchers at the Westmead Institute interviewed more than 2, 000 Australian adults aged over 50 and followed them over a 15-year period. The research showed that people who ate at least one serving of oranges every day had more than a 60% reduced risk of developing late macular degeneration 15 years later. Even eating an orange once a week seems to offer significant benefits.
Lead researcher associate professor Gopinath said, "The data shows that flavonoids (类黄酮) found in oranges appear to have a big role to play in reducing the chance of macular degeneration. Flavonoids can be found in almost all fruits and vegetables and they are useful in reducing inflammation (炎症) and stress within the body. " "We examined common foods that contain flavonoids such as tea, apples, red wine. Significantly, the data did not show a relationship between other food sources protecting the eyes against the disease," she said.
Gopinath said that until now most research has focused on the effects of common nutrients such as vitamins C, E and A on the eyes. "Our research is different because we focused on the relationship between flavonoids and macular degeneration."
Macular degeneration is the name given to a group of eye diseases that cause progressive loss of central sight. It is the leading cause of blindness in Australia and affects about one in seven people over the age of 50. There is currently no cure for the disease.
"Our research aims to understand why eye diseases occur, as well as the genetic and environmental conditions that may do harm to eyesight, "Gopinath concluded.
