Oh say, can you see?

Cataract (clouding of the lens of the eye) is the number one cause of blindness worldwide. Currently, nearly one in five Americans age 40 or older has cataracts. Medicare spends more than $3.4 billion per year for treatment of this condition. If dietary changes could reduce the risk of developing cataracts, the impact on health care costs would be staggering. Very few studies have examined dietary risk factors for cataract.

Recently, two studies were published, one which examined fruit and vegetable consumption and cataract risk and another which examined carbohydrate consumption and cataract risk. Both studies were of middle-aged and older women. Women who ate more than 3.4 servings of fruits and vegetables daily had a slightly lower (10-15 percent) risk of developing cataracts and having surgery to remove them. While these results are modest, increased fruit and vegetable intake can't hurt, may reduce risk of cataracts, and certainly helps to reduce the risk of many other diseases.

The second study found that higher carbohydrate intakes were associated with an increased risk of one type of cataract called cortical cataracts. Since this type of cataract represents only a small proportion of cataracts that are surgically removed, the practical implications of these results are uncertain. At this point, increasing fruit and vegetable intake appears to be one way to reduce the risk of developing cataracts.

Christen WG, Liu S, Schaumberg DA, Buring JE. 2005. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cataract in women. Am J Clin Nutr 81:1417-22.

Chiu C-J, Morris MS, Rogers G, et al. 2005. Carbohydrate intake and glycemic index in relation to the odds of early cortical and nuclear lens opacities. Am J Clin Nutr 81:1411-16.