A NEW study suggests eating oranges regularly may reduce risks of developing macular degeneration by more than 60 per cent.
The study involved researchers from The Westmead Institute for Medical Research interviewing more than 2000 people aged over 50 over a 15-year period.
Research showed that eating oranges, which contain flavonoids, appeared to help prevent degeneration occurring.
The study found eating at least one serving of oranges a day could reduce the risk of developing late macular degeneration by 60 per cent.
Lead researcher Bamini Gopinath said the research indicated even eating oranges once a week seemed to offer benefits.
She said until now, most research had primarily 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,” Associate Professor Gopinath said.
“Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants found in almost all fruits and vegetables and they have important anti-inflammatory benefits for the immune system.”
She said other items containing flavonoids, such as tea, apples, red wine and oranges, were also studied.
“Significantly, the data did not show a relationship between flavonoids and macular degeneration,” she said.
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