Eggs are good for the eyes: how many eggs we need to eat to reduce the risk of macular degeneration

Scientists have discovered that eggs are able to reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a condition linked to aging that affects the macula and that can lead, in severe cases, to loss of vision. Experts tell us how many eggs we should eat a week and how eggs can protect our eyes.

Regular consumption of eggs can reduce the risk of developing macular degeneration, a condition linked to aging. This is what the researchers of the Westmead Institute for Medical Research say, explaining in detail what is the weekly quantity of eggs recommended to fight this pathology.

Eggs per week

Experts tested the effects of eggs on a group of patients who were asked to consume from two to four eggs a week, while a control group was asked to consume only one per week. The data collected showed that consumption of two until four eggs per week over a 15-year period resulted in a 49% reduction in macular degeneration. For subjects with the most aggressive form of wet macular degeneration, which involves the growth of abnormal blood vessels at the macula, resulting in blood leakage, consumption from two to four eggs reduced the risk by 54%, which it has risen to 65% in the case of five to six eggs a week.

Why the eggs protect the eyes

 Carotenoids present in egg yolk provide the protective potential of the eggs, in particular lutein and zeaxanthin have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which are therefore thought to have positive effects on the progression of macular degeneration.

What is macular degeneration

Macular degeneration is a condition that affects the macula and that can lead to a progressive loss of vision and the risk increases in people who are over 50-years-old, it is therefore a pathology linked to aging. In milder forms macular degeneration does not affect vision, while it can cause blindness in severe cases. Macular degeneration can be dry, when protein and glycemic deposits accumulate under the retina that make the macula thinner, or moist, as we have seen before.