Drinking a certain type of popular coffee may increase your chances of developing incurable blindness or partial vision in later life, a new study has found.
According to the study, researchers appeared to draw a direct connection between a type of coffee that millions of Brits drink and an increased likelihood of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Researchers published their findings in the Food Science & Nutrition journal after analysing the data of hundreds of thousands of people to reach their conclusions.
Several types of AMD exist, which typically affect the central vision of people over the age of 75, making it challenging to identify details and faces.
Although it’s rare for AMD conditions to make people completely blind, it can be severely debilitating, and there is currently no cure.
Given the new findings, researchers are urging people to think about cutting back on this type of coffee to reduce the likelihood of developing eyesight issues in later life.
Here’s what you need to know.
Can coffee make you blind?
There have been several studies conducted on coffee and its impact on eyesight in the past, and there have been mixed results.
However, this latest study concluded that drinking instant coffee can increase the likelihood of AMD hundreds of times in comparison to other types of coffee.
“Instant coffee may increase the risk of AMD, and reducing its intake could help prevent dry AMD,” the study explained. “People at high-risk for AMD should avoid instant coffee.”
To achieve their results, scientists compared the coffee consumption of individuals who drank decaffeinated coffee, ground coffee, and instant coffee, and then assessed the prevalence of wet and dry AMD among them.
Eventually, they discovered that those who drink instant coffee are almost seven times more likely to develop dry AMD compared to other coffee drinkers.
The study also found that coffee increases the chances of people developing primary open-angle glaucoma, as well as age-related cataracts. However, there are some health benefits associated with coffee drinking as well.
Drinking a moderate amount of coffee throughout the day has been associated by some scientists with a decreased risk of some cancers and cardiovascular issues, but it has also been tied to things like increased anxiety.
It appears that there are also mixed results regarding which type of coffee is the healthiest to drink, but it’s generally accepted that black filter coffee is healthier than coffee with milk, sugar, or syrups.
One study also found that people who drank filtered coffee had a lower chance of developing cardiovascular disease or death than those who didn’t drink filter coffee.
As with most things, consuming coffee in moderation is generally recommended over excessive consumption and should form part of a healthy and balanced diet.
