Eating just one orange a day may help stop macular degeneration, a major cause of blindness, according to a new study.

Researchers who interviewed more than 2,000 adults age 50 and above, and followed them over a 15-year period, found those who regularly eat oranges are less likely to develop the age-related, vision-robbing disease.

According to the study by the Westmead Institute for Medical Research in Australia, a daily orange appeared to trigger a 60 percent reduced risk of developing late macular degeneration.

Lead Researcher Bamini Gopinath from the University of Sydney said the flavonoids in oranges appear to help prevent the affliction.

"Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants found in almost all fruits and vegetables, and they have important anti-inflammatory benefits for the immune system," she said.

"We examined common foods that contain flavonoids such as tea, apples, red wine and oranges. Significantly, the data did not show a relationship between other food sources protecting the eyes against the disease."

The full study is available online at the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

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