During your next eye exam, your doctor may show you a little viewing box connected to a computer and ask if you want to take a test that might give your risk for developing macular degeneration. The test, called “Heterochromatic Flicker Photometry,” measures the depth of a layer of pigments that cover the macula—the area of the retina where most of your focused vision takes place. And evidence is accumulating that a healthy pigment layer is associated with a decreased likelihood of age-related macular degeneration.
The good news is that if your pigment layer is on the thin side, you can fatten it up by eating foods containing the pigments concentrated in the retina. The pigments, zeaxanthin and lutein, are found in green leafy veggies and in red or orange peppers. You can also take these pigments in therapeutic doses.
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This article was originally published in the St. Louis Beacon.