Vision loss is a victim of the aging process, but can be stimulated by poor dietary decisions, according to contact lens optician Sharon Copeland of Feel Good Contacts. She highlighted the dangers posed by specific elements in a recent interview with Express.co.uk. Ms Copeland said: “Excessive amounts of sweetened foods and refined carbohydrates (usually found in Western diets) can cause vision loss.
Some of the worst refined carbohydrates include white bread and pasta, as well as highly sweetened foods such as ketchup and carbonated beverages, she said.
The above culprits are absorbed quickly, which leads to an increase in blood sugar, explained Ms. Copeland.
“This increase in blood sugar can lead to the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), when retinal damage is caused.”
According to Ms. Copeland, AMD causes blindness in the central visual field and can eventually lead to “complete blindness.”
READ MORE: Vision Warning: Food Eaten by Millions That Can Cause Blindness – What to Avoid
Researchers at the Bristol Eye Hospital in Bristol, UK, have reported a case of a 14-year-old patient visiting his family doctor for the first time, complaining of fatigue.
In addition to being declared a “picky man”, the boy has a normal body mass index (BMI) and has not taken medication.
The teenager admitted that after leaving primary school, he lived on a diet of french fries, Pringles, white bread and processed meats.
Although he had a normal BMI and was not taking any medication, tests found that his body was deficient in vitamins with low levels of vitamin B12 and macrocytic anemia, a condition that results in higher than normal red blood cells.
The medical report said he was given B12 injections, supplements and dietary advice as a result, but he did not follow the recommended treatment.
A year later, the young man returned to the hospital because he had some hearing loss and impaired vision, but doctors could not find a cause.
By the age of 17, “the patient’s vision has deteriorated progressively, to the point of blindness,” the report said.
The boy admitted that he avoided certain textures and had eaten the same junk food for more than a decade.
Examining the boy’s diet further, doctors found a deficiency of vitamin B12 and vitamin D, reduced bone mineral density, low levels of copper and selenium and high levels of zinc.
“By the time his condition was diagnosed, the patient had permanently impaired vision.
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