(DailyMail) - Forget carrots - drinking red wine is good for eyesight and can prevent eye disease in later life, according to a leading surgeon.

Consultant ophthalmologist Milind Pande says the drink is beneficial because of its resveratrol content.

The substance is found in the skin of grapes and is believed to help hold back the age-related deterioration of the muscles in the eyes which can lead to vision problems.

Resveratrol also halts the growth of blood vessels in the eye – if they continue to grow they can cause macular degeneration - failing eyesight, said Mr Pande, of the Vision Surgery and Research Centre in Hull.

For many it means they need glasses as they get older but it is also the leading cause of blindness in the UK and is particularly dangerous for those with diabetes, said Mr Pande.

The consultant eye surgeon said: ‘Resveratrol is a plant polyphenol found in red wine and grapes and it is this compound that is helpful in the fight against age-related macular degeneration.

‘It is thought that resveratrol stops out-of-control blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) in the eye.