Vitamin C cuts cataract risks for women

Women can reduce their risk of early-onset cataract by taking plenty of vitamin C, new research suggests.
Researchers from Tufts University in Boston have found a link between the supplement and cortical and posterior subcapsular cataracts (PSCs).
The Boston researchers collected data on 492 women aged 53 to 73. None were diabetic, and none had been diagnosed with cataracts. Among the 984 eyes examined, about 34 per cent had cortical cataracts and nearly 13 per cent had PSCs.
Women under 60 years with daily vitamin C intakes of 362mg or more had a 57 per cent lower risk of developing cortical cataracts than their peers who consumed less than 140mg of the vitamin a day, the researchers discovered.
Women who took vitamin C supplements for 10 years or more reduced their risk of developing cortical cataracts by 60 per cent, compared with women who did not take any form of supplements.