Regular Consumption of Goji Berries Reduces and Prevents the Development of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macula degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in aging people, with 170 million people globally estimated to suffer from AMD (as reviewed in).1 A recent study published in the journal Nutrients examined the effects of consumption of 28 g of goji berries five times a week on macular optical density (MOPD) and on the levels of skin carotenoids in participants aged 45-65 years old in a randomised trial.2 Notably, goji berry consumption was associated with significant increases in MOPD following the 90 day study period. Furthermore, goji berry consumption also resulted in significant increases in skin carotonid levels. The authors deduced that regular goji berry consumption in healthy middle-aged people without other evident morbidities may prevent or delay the development of AMD. However, this study measured carotonids in the skin and it was not demonstrated that the increases in the skin correlate to similar increases in the eyes. Similarly, whilst this study reports noteworthy increases in MOPD, the study did not conclusively show that this delayed AMD, although it may be reasonable to assume that it does. Further studies are required to confirm these effects and to determine the molecular mechanism(s) responsible for these effects.