Updated on Friday, June 19, 2009, 18:23 IST

London, June 19: Want to retain your sight as you age? Well, eat a diet full of fruit and vegetables daily, say researchers.

A new study, led by Indian-origin Usha Chakravarthy of Queen's University in Belfast, has revealed that antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables may slow down sight loss in many elderly people.

Age-related muscular regeneration (AMD), an incurable eye disease which causes blurring of central vision, affect a number of aged people across the world.

For their study, the researchers developed a new antioxidant supplement and tested it on more than 400 people across Ireland to check whether nutritional supplements helped sharpen vision.

The subjects, with an average age of 77, took part in clinical trials investigating whether rich antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables could prevent progression to the more serious late AMD.

The study showed the intake of high levels preserved the muscular pigments, slowing down the progression from early AMD to late AMD. In contrast, muscular pigments of participants in a group given placebos declined steadily.

"These findings are important as this is the first randomised controlled clinical trial to document a beneficial effect via improved function and maintained muscular pigment.

"Further research is needed to confirm these findings and to identify the numbers needed to treat to prevent one case from progressing from early to late AMD," Chakravarthy was quoted by 'The Daily Telegraph' as saying.

Bureau Report