Nutrition and Glaucoma: The Impact of Diet on Eye Health

Existing scientific research into the eye disease glaucoma mainly focuses on eye pressure

Nutrition may play an important role in the development and progression of the eye disease glaucoma. This is evident from PhD research by Joëlle Vergroesen of Erasmus MC. She found a protective effect of a diet with green leafy vegetables, fish and red fruit.

Existing scientific research into the eye disease glaucoma mainly focuses on eye pressure. A large proportion of patients have increased eye pressure at diagnosis, caused by the accumulation of water in the eye. This can cause damage to the optic nerve, causing visual field loss.

Nutrition also plays an important role, as Vergroesen’s PhD research shows. ‘There is a link between healthy food and a healthy brain. Because the brain and the eye arise from the same tissue in early development, the question arose: what can nutrition mean for glaucoma?’

About glaucoma
In the Netherlands, about 190,000 people have the eye condition glaucoma. Globally, glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible damage to the eye, eventually resulting in blindness. The disease usually occurs around the age of sixty. If detected and treated in time, blindness can be delayed or even prevented in half of the cases. The treatment of glaucoma consists of drops and/or surgery to lower the eye pressure.

To gain more insight into this question, Vergroesen studied the effect of three different diets: the Mediterranean diet, the Dutch dietary guidelines and the so-called MIND diet. She investigated this within ERGO, a population survey by the Erasmus MC among almost 20,000 people aged forty and older in the Rotterdam district of Ombloed. The PhD student compared glaucoma patients with people without glaucoma of the same age and gender. She then determined for both groups to what extent the participants followed the MIND diet.

While the Mediterranean diet and the Dutch Wheel of Five showed little effect, the MIND diet proved effective. The MIND diet reduces the risk of glaucoma. ‘Apparently it must be a specific diet with certain nutritional products that are really aimed at improving the health of nerve cells in the brain or the eye,’ Vergroesen explains. The MIND diet has been formulated to prevent Alzheimer’s and consists of a menu with lots of green leafy vegetables, fish and red fruit such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

Nitrate breast
Green leafy vegetables appear to be especially important. ‘We looked at nitrate absorption by eating a leafy vegetable such as spinach. A higher nitrate intake may have a protective effect against the progression of glaucoma.’ These findings still need to be confirmed, the researcher emphasizes.

Vergroesen will also conduct further research into butyrate. ‘This is produced when people eat a lot of fibre, such as fruit and vegetables. We see that butyrate is good for everything; gut health, the brain, a sense of well-being. We hope to confirm the effect of butyrate on glaucoma with follow-up research in a new cohort.’

In addition to the effects of nutrition, Vergroesen also conducted research into medication and the microbiome, the composition of bacteria in the intestinal flora. For patients whose glaucoma continues to worsen despite a reduction in eye pressure, the microbiome could become a point of attention, the PhD candidate thinks. ‘Food and medication influence the microbiome. By positively influencing the composition of bacteria, you could possibly prevent glaucoma or worsening of complaints.’

Dietary advice
Vergroesen finds it fascinating about scientific research that after a finding there is more and more to discover. She is looking forward to doing more research after her PhD. ‘What else can we do to help people with glaucoma? With this question in mind, I will remain involved in the research.’ She hopes that knowledge about nutrition, medication and the microbiome can eventually be shared with patients in concrete dietary advice. ‘It’s still in the future, but it’s a start. I am confident that it will work out in the end.’

Bron: Erasmus MC

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2023-10-12 10:00:17
#Nutrition #protective #effect #eye #disease #glaucoma