What is Cataract
Medical Treatment
A cataract is a condition that develops in the lens of the eye. These result in clouding of the eye’s lens that commonly obstruct one’s vision, especially in old age. Studies suggest that people with higher intakes of antioxidants, including vitamin C, have a lower risk of developing cataract. However these studies can not be relied upon, as they have been all been done abroad, and not in India. Here, people’s vitamin C levels are likely to be very low and rates of cataract are generally high. For this, a new study was done in India. Researchers evaluated more than 5,600 Indian adults aged 60 and more, for cataracts. These people’s blood level of vitamin C was measured and they were also interviewed about their lifestyle, diets and general habits. And shockingly, about 73 percent of the people were found to have cataracts. This risk decreased as vitamin C blood levels and intake of Vitamin C increased..
That means, almost a quarter of older adults with the highest vitamin C levels, the risk of cataract was 39 percent lower than in people with the lowest levels of the nutrient. Other factors in account were income, smoking habits, high blood pressure and diabetes.
The Study
Anything below 11 micromoles per liter is considered a vitamin C deficiency. More than half of the study participants were deficient in it, and the bottom 30 percent of the group had vitamin C concentrations below the level of detection.
The highest vitamin C levels, was just 38 micromoles per liter. In counties like Europe and USA, Vitamin C levels have been 70 micromoles or more
However, The findings, reported in the journal Ophthalmology, do not prove that adequate vitamin C protects against cataracts. But that it’s biologically plausible.
Why Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is an antioxidant, it helps protect body cells from damage caused by oxidative stress.
Astrid E. Fletcher, a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the UK said, “Laboratory and animal studies show vitamin C plays a major part in defending the lens of the eye against oxidative stress. The eye is mainly susceptible to oxidative stress as the ‘seeing’ organ of the body. Light can be very damaging.The lens absorbs ultraviolet radiation, a major source of oxidative stress.”
But the findings, are mainly for India, as here the vitamin C’s level is generally low.
In Western countries, studies have come to conflicting conclusions altogether.
Right amount of Vitamin C to avoid Cataract
Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit, green and red peppers, kiwifruit, strawberries, broccoli and tomatoes are high in vitamin C. In the U.S., the official recommendation for men is to get 90 milligrams of vitamin C a day, and for women, it is 75 milligrams.
In the study, most older Indian adults were getting way below this level.
The main cause for blindness in India is cataract, making it the highest vulnerable country in the world, for blindness.
