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Last Updated: Apr 20, 2011 - 9:38:09 AM |
WEDNESDAY FEB 20, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- A polyphenol found in olive oil seems to have a protective effect against macular degeneration associated with aging or damages from chemicals in tobacco smoke, according to a study in the Journal of Neurochemistry.
In the laboratory study using the human retina with mitochondria, hydroxytyrosol or HTS showed a protective effect against oxidative damage that was as potent as that of established mitochondria-targeting antioxidant nutrients.
Age-related macular degeneration or AMD is the leading cause for legal blindness in people aged 55 or older in the West. The condition affects an estimated 25 to 30 million people worldwide.
HTS was found protective against oxidative damage induced by acrolein, a major component in cigarette smoke.
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, DSM Nutritional Products, and the University of California, Irvine said dietary administration of HTS may be effective in reducing and or preventing cigarette smoke-induced or age-related retinal pigment epithelial degeneration, such as age-related macular degeneration.
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