Vitamin C Can Lower The Risks Of Cataract

Cataracts is quite a common disease in older people, especially in low-income countries of the world. It is linked to a clouding of the eye’s lens which leads to vision problems. Modern medicine offers several effective solutions for this problem, including surgeries and others. However, it is very important to prevent and lower the risks of cataract since the early ages. How to do that? In particular, according to the latest research, it is necessary to enrich our diet with the food sources of vitamin C and antioxidants, which are reported to substantially reduce the risks of the development of this condition on the latest stages of our life.

During the study, the experts at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine analyzed the health condition of over 6,500 people aged over 60, questioned them about their lifestyle and habits, and made blood tests to see the amount of vitamin C. It turned out that 73 percent of the participants have cataracts, and those of the participants who had the highest levels of vitamin C in their blood actually did not have this disease. It was estimated that high amount of this vitamin in the blood are linked to 39 percent lower risks of cataract.

However, the specialists found out that general levels of vitamin C were quite low. It is reported that more than 50 percent of the participants suffer from obvious vitamin C deficiency, or the level of this vitamin was below 11 micro moles per liter. Moreover, 30 percent of the participants had the levels of this vitamin lower than 2 micro moles per liter, which are actually below the level of detection. The highest detected levels of vitamin C were not exceeding 40 micro moles, when the highest level of vitamin C in the blood should reach up to 65-70 micro moles per liter.

The findings of this study were recently published in the journal Ophthalmology. Astrid E. Fletcher, one of the study leaders and a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, underlines the importance of taking antioxidant rich foods for our good eye health. Antioxidants like vitamin C can protect our tissues from damage caused by oxidative stress. “Vitamin C plays a very important part in defending the lens of the eye against oxidative stress. The eye is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress as the ‘seeing’ organ of the body,” Dr. Fletcher says. “Light is essential for vision but light is also very damaging. The lens absorbs ultraviolet radiation, a major source of oxidative stress.”

Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.

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