Increasing dietary intake of vitamin C could reduce cataract progression by nearly a third, new research has found.
Conducted by teams at Kings College London, the study was said to be the first twin study of cataracts to examine to what degree genetic and environmental factors influence their progression with age.
Researchers looked at the progression of cataracts in the eyes of 324 pairs of female twins from the Twins UK registry over a 10 year period by examining photographs of the participant’s lenses that allowed them to study the level of opacity of the lens. Intake of vitamin c was measured using a food questionnaire.
Participants who had a higher intake of vitamin C were associated with a 33% reduction of cataract progression risk and had ‘clearer’ lenses after 10 years than those who had consumed less vitamin C as part of their diet.
The study, published in the journal Ophthalmology and funded by the Wellcome Trust and Guide Dogs for the Blind, also found that environmental factors (including diet) influenced cataract more than genetic factors, which only explained a third of the change in lens opacity.
Professor Chris Hammond, consultant eye surgeon and lead author of the study from the Division of Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, said: ‘The findings of this study could have significant impact, particularly for the ageing population globally by suggesting that simple dietary changes such as increased intake of fruit and vegetables as part of a healthier diet could help protect them from cataracts.
‘While we cannot avoid getting older, diabetes and smoking are also risk factors for this type of cataract, and so a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle generally should reduce the risk of needing a cataract operation.’