A new study has shown that intermittent fasting can help reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The study was based in Korea and was tested with participants who ate breakfast and those who skipped the meal. The test results showed that those who skipped the meal had a decreased risk of AMD.
To determine how implementing this dietary change can possibly influence AMD risk, researchers looked at survey data on meal frequency as well as fundus photography of over 4000 subjects over the age of 55. Then the participants were split into two groups: intermittent fasting group and non-fasting group.
The overall conclusion of the studies showed that the intermittent fasting group had a lower AMD risk compared with the non-fasting group, but the reasons are still being investigated as to why intermittent fasting seems to have a neuroprotective effect on the retina. Researchers speculate that because obesity was shown to be a risk factor, the decline of overall daily food intake by cutting out breakfast may be one explanation for why this lifestyle change seems to aid in disease protection.