'Instant coffee' increases risk of age-related vision loss

A new study conducted by Chinese scientists has shown that consuming instant coffee may increase the risk of developing the eye disease ‘macular degeneration’ (AMD), which can cause vision loss in later life. The study revealed that individuals who prefer instant coffee are seven times more likely to develop the disease than those who consume other types of coffee. According to the study, in ‘macular degeneration’, the macula, the central part of the eye’s retina, becomes damaged over time. This negatively affects daily functions such as reading, driving and recognizing faces.

Experts said that those with a family history of macular degeneration, smokers, overweight individuals and patients with high blood pressure are at higher risk. It was also noted that people with blue or green eyes are more likely to develop macular degeneration due to low pigmentation against sunlight. It is thought that the chemical called 'acrylamide', which is produced during the production process of instant coffee, can damage the retina by mixing with the bloodstream. It is stated that this chemical may be effective in the development of macular degeneration.

The study is supported by genetic data from the UK Biobank and the FinnGen consortium in Finland. The study did not directly look at the participants' coffee preferences, but rather looked at the type of coffee that individuals' genetic makeup was predisposed to prefer. Participants were grouped as instant, ground or decaffeinated coffee consumers according to their genetic predisposition. According to the results, the risk of developing "dry type" macular degeneration in individuals who tend to drink instant coffee increased by 692 percent, and the risk of "wet type" macular degeneration increased by 159 percent. An 80 percent increase in the risk of "dry type" macular degeneration was observed in those who preferred decaffeinated coffee; however, this statistic was not found to be significant.

Experts reported that the findings need to be confirmed with larger studies.

DHA

Reporter: News Center