Do Diabetic Diets and Macular Degeneration Disease Conflict?

by: Livingstrong

Multiple health conditions may cause difficulties with dietary choices, since you must avoid certain foods or nutrients with certain conditions or medications. For diabetics, diet plays an important role in blood sugar control. Macular degeneration is a condition that relies on diet for prevention and slowing the progression of the disease. If you have both diabetes and macular degeneration, you should know the nutritional needs of each condition to ensure that you meet all of your dietary requirements.
Diabetes

A healthy diet is important for controlling your blood sugar levels. You should eat lean proteins, such as skinless chicken breasts and fish, as well as healthy fats, such as olive oil. Choose whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta, and eat brown rice instead of white rice. If you use dairy products, eat low fat options and choose skim milk over whole milk. One of the most important dietary choices for diabetics is eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. A diet that consists of a wide variety of health, whole foods will provide you with the nutrients you need, and may also help stabilize your blood sugar.

Macular degeneration is a condition caused by the break down of cells in the macula, an area of tissue located on the retina that lines the back of your eye. The damage to these cells can lead to the loss of your straight-ahead vision. Treatment options do not typically improve vision, and this means that prevention plays the most important role in macular degeneration. The National Eye Institute has determined that nutrients such as zinc, vitamin E, vitamin C and beta carotene may help reduce the risk of this devastating condition by 25 percent.
No Conflict

The diets needed for diabetes control and macular degeneration prevention do not conflict. In fact, preventing macular degeneration relies heavily on the nutrition you will find in the healthy fruits and vegetables that make up part of a healthy diabetic diet. For example, a salad made with a variety of vegetables and dark, leafy greens will provide nutrients for macular degeneration prevention. This also makes a healthy diabetic meal, particularly if you add grilled chicken breast or salmon. If you select salmon, this will also provide omega-3 fatty acids, another nutrient that may help prevent macular degeneration.
Considerations

Before making dietary changes, talk with your doctor about your nutritional needs. If you take certain medications, such as blood thinners, you may need to avoid large amounts of certain nutrients. Your doctor will help you determine a nutrition plan specific to your needs.