Antioxidants and Cataracts

Cataract removal is the most common operation in the U.S. (1.2 million per year) with costs of over 3 billion dollars.

Taylor has recently reviewed the impressive evidence that cataracts have an oxidative etiology and that dietary antioxidants can prevent their formation in humans. Five epidemiological studies that have examined the effect of dietary antioxidants on cataracts show strong preventative effects of ascorbate, tocopherol, and carotenoids. Those individuals taking daily supplements of ascorbate or tocopherol had about one-third the risk.

Smoking, a severe oxidative stress, is a major risk factor for cataracts and radiation, an oxidative mutagen, is well-known to cause cataracts.

Eye proteins show an increased level of methionine sulfoxide with age and proteins in human cataracts have over 60 percent of their methionine residues oxidized. Pregnant mice depleted of Glutathione, the main sulfhydryl antioxidants in cells, produce offspring with cataracts. The most promising preventative strategy against cataracts appears to be to increase dietary antioxidants and to decrease smoking.

Click here for more about Glutathione and its benefits to our body.