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.

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The Role of Glutathione in Eye Care

TYPICALLY the need for reading glasses comes on in the 40s or 50s. The common cause of this is a loss of flexibility in the eye's lens.

The fact that it is a common occurrence does not mean that it cannot be treated if treated soon enough.

Equally important is that the process of decline is also associated with the development of cataracts and general declines in overall health, so one basic treatment helps the body's overall health.

***Note that there might possibly be other problems, and consulting with a physician is always wise where critical health concerns are an issue.

A shortage of the amino acid Glutathione is the primary culprit in the eye decline noted above.

Glutathione slows down the breakdown of DNA within the lens. It protects certain proteins in the lens from oxidizing. It aids in the transport of calcium, potassium, and sodium into the lens.

Declines in these are all contributors to the decline in the health of the lens, its increasing rigidity, and the develoment of cataracts.

Supplementation of Glutathione will resolve the problem -- if done soon enough after the decline in vision is noted. Increasing the Glutathione level in the eye may actually restore some flexibility.

However, if the lens is too rigid, reversing the damage is not possible. At least, though, further decline and develoment of cataracts may be prevented.

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Glutathione in Health and Disease

Glutathione levels are related to increased survival and longer life in all organisms tested so far, lower levels are related to poorer health and a number of chronic degenerative diseases, including heart disease, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal diseases, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), preeclampsia, cataracts, chronic renal failure, leukemia, respiratory diseases like COPD and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), hearing loss, and AIDS.

Lang concluded that decreased GSH is a risk factor for chronic diseases and may be used to monitor the severity and progress of the diseases. Conversely, Dr. Mara Julius of the Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, in a study of 33 subjects over the age of 60, found that higher Glutathione levels were associated with fewer illnesses and higher levels of self-rated health, lower cholesterol, lower body mass index and lower blood pressures. The author noted that this was the first study that showed an association of higher Glutathione levels with higher levels of physical health in a community-based sample.

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