Re: body fat and macular pigment optical density (MPOD)

[Guest guest]

Hi s:

I understand it to indicate less fat is better because it is related

to higher lutein and zeaxanthin levels (although it also says fat

level is not related to maculopathy specifically).

Rodney.

--- In , " rosasproject " <scott@e...>

wrote:

> If I am reading this article correctly it says the fatter you are

> the less risk you have to of developing age-related maculopathy,

or,

> is it the opposite?

>

> Here's the link:

>

>

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256E8

> 6007156CA

>

> Here's the article:

>

> DGDispatch

> ARVO: Study Finds Link Between Body Fat and Macular Pigmentation

> By Mike Fillon

>

> FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- April 30, 2004 -- The higher the percentage

> of body fat, the less likely someone will be to have inadequate

> macular pigmentation, which protects against age-related

maculopathy

> (ARM.), according to study results presented here on April 27th in

a

> poster session at the Association for Research in Vision and

> Ophthalmology Annual Meeting.

>

> There have been many risk factors for ARM, including age, female

> gender, obesity, light iris color, smoking, family history, low

> dietary, and blood levels of arytenoids, according to presenter

Orla

> O'Donovan, PhD, Chemical & Life Sciences Department., Waterford

> Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland, United Kingdom,.

>

> To investigate the relationship between the percentage of body fat,

> serum concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin, and MPOD, Dr.

> O'Donovan and colleagues enrolled 100 healthy Caucasian subjects

> between the ages of 22 and 60 years. Subjects answered a

> questionnaire of 166 specific foods or food types divided into 19

> groups.

>

> The researchers extracted serum L and Z with heptane using

> tocopherol acetate as an internal standard. Macular pigment optical

> density (MPOD) was measured psychophysically using a maculometer.

> Body composition measurements were calculated using dual energy x-

> ray absorptiometry, callipers for skinfold thickness, bioelectric

> impedance absorptiometry -- which is used to estimate body

> composition including percentage body fat, lean body mass and total

> body water. Waist-hip ratio and body mass index (BMI) were also

> measured for all subjects.

>

> The researchers discovered MPOD was positively and significantly

> related to serum levels of lutein and to dietary intake of

> zeaxanthin. Dietary fat intake was inversely related to serum

lutein

> and zeaxanthin -- and significantly for lutein -- but was not

> related to MPOD.

>

> " As a result, we have confirmed a gender-independent, significant

> and inverse relationship between percentage body fat and [MPOD],

> which is attenuated to borderline significance when corrected for

> age, " said Dr. O'Donovan. " Measures of body fat showed high levels

> of agreement, and an easily demonstrable inverse relationship with

> [MPOD] when compared with measures of body composition such as BMI

> and waist-hip ratio, indicating that measures of adiposity should

be

> used for further study. "

>

> Dr. O'Donovan said the study also showed dietary and serum levels

of

> lutein and zeaxanthin are significantly and positively related to

> MPOD, but significantly and inversely related to adiposity. She

said

> the results also demonstrated an inverse relationship between

> dietary intake of fat and serum levels of lutein and zeaxanthin.

>

> " All of our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that a

> relative lack of macular pigment, or serum [lutein] and/or

> [zeaxanthin], may underlie the increased risk of progression of ARM

> associated with dietary and body fat, " she said.

>

>

> [Presentation title: " Advances in Imaging and Macular Pigments I

> Macular pigment optical density, and serum and dietary lutein and

> zeaxanthin, in healthy subjects with and without a family history

of

> Age - Related Maculopathy. " Poster #B-602]