Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness, according to new research. It affects the macula, a part of Retina that sends light from eye to the brain and macula allows you to see it clearly in detail. Consuming caffeine and a Meditteranean diet can lower the risk of acquiring AMD.

The Meditteranean diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, fish and healthy fats which can benefit the heart and lower the risk of having cancer. But researchers noted that they're not quite sure whether it helps to protect the eyes against any diseases as there has only been little research about it.

The researchers assessed the diet of the people in Portugal, aged 55 and older, a total of 833 people in which 434 of them don't have any eye diseases or any related matter while the other 449 had an early stage of AMD, Western Mass News reports.

A Meditteranean diet was associated with 35% lower risk of Age-related Macular Degeneration and eating a lot of fruits can be beneficial.  It was also found out that people who consumed Caffeine in high levels assumed to have a lower chance of having AMD.

Dr. Rufino Silva, the lead author, and an Ophthalmology professor at the University of Columbia said that this research adds up to the evidence that a fruit-rich, healthy diet is important to the body and it also protects against AMD. The research is to be presented at the Annual meeting of American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) this week in Chicago. The study will be presented at the meeting is still preliminary not until published in peer-reviewed journal, via Web MD. 

Among those who consumed high levels of caffeine (for about 78mg a day) 54% didn't have any eye disease or AMD and 45% had the eye disease. Caffeine is an antioxidant,t which is known to protect against other health problems, Alzheimer's disease example. However, the research didn't prove yet as to consuming caffeine and a Meditteranean diet could possibly drop the risk of acquiring AMD.