More than 150 million Americans use glasses or contacts to correct refractive errors such as nearsightedness or farsightedness, according to a report from the eye health organization Prevent Blindness America. And the prevalence of blindness and sight problems increases with age. In people over age 40, the most common diseases include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

Studies over the last few decades suggest that people whose diets are high in specific antioxidants such as vitamin C, E, zinc, or carotenoid plant pigments such as beta-carotene or lutein are less likely to develop common age-related eye diseases.

Continue to read the full article from an interview with Prof. Julie Mares, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, UW- Madison that was published in Chicago Tribune on May 30th 2012