Khaberni - A shocking study revealed that consuming a specific type of coffee may be associated with age-related macular degeneration, a main cause of vision loss that usually begins in people's fifties.
After analyzing data from more than half a million people in Britain and Finland, researchers from Hubei University in China found that instant coffee might pose a real threat to eye health, especially for individuals carrying genes that increase the risk of the disease.
What is truly alarming is that the study found increasing consumption from two to four cups a day of instant coffee elevates the risk by about seven times for this group.
The underlying scientific reason is that the problem lies in the manufacturing process of this coffee type, which involves drying the concentrated extract by spraying it through hot air, leading to high levels of harmful compounds such as acrylamide and other substances that cause inflammation and damage to the sensitive retinal cells.
In contrast, the study offers some reassurance to fans of traditional coffee, as there was no link found between consuming ground or decaffeinated coffee and an increased risk of the disease. This has led researchers to advise those genetically predisposed to the disease to avoid instant coffee and look for safer alternatives.
Some experts caution against overinterpreting these results, pointing out that age-related macular degeneration is a complex disease with multiple causes, and that real protection for vision lies in adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes quitting smoking, maintaining an ideal weight, eating a balanced diet, and having regular eye exams.
