Vitamin D: sheds light on health

A diet high in vitamin D, or with added supplements, may help prevent the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over age 60, a new study shows. Macular degeneration is a progressive disease resulting in blurred vision and blind spots, making reading, driving, and recognizing faces difficult.

But according to results of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, in a field of 7,752 participants, those with the highest levels of vitamin D were 36 percent less likely to have early macular degeneration. The study did not examine sunlight exposure, which is a major source of vitamin D. Researchers are still studying potential recommended amounts of vitamin D in macular degeneration prevention.

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