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Friday, July 15, 2011

Vitamin C from food may help reduce the risk of cataracts

/ On : 2:06 PM
Health-Net: Vitamin C can be obtained from a variety of food sources. A study in India found that adults get enough vitamin C intake from foods could reduce the risk of cataracts.

Cataract is a condition of the eye lens opacities which become the most common cause of vision problems in older people. Several studies have found that adequate intake of antioxidants; including vitamin C can reduce the risk of cataracts.

In this study the researchers analyzed more than 5,600 Indian adults aged 60 years and over. Participants are asked about lifestyle habits and measure the levels of vitamin C in their blood.

Overall, nearly 73 percent of participants known to have cataracts. But this risk can be lowered or reduced if the intake of vitamin C was increased mainly derived from food.

The result is a high intake of vitamin C reduced cataract risk by 39 percent compared with a low vitamin C intake. Of course other factors such as income, smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes counted.

It is biologically plausible because vitamin C is an antioxidant which means that one can protect body cells from damage by oxidative stress conditions.

Laboratory and animal studies indicate vitamin C plays an important part in protecting the lens from oxidative stress, said Astrid E Fletcher from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, as quoted by Reuters on Friday July 15, 2011.

Fletcher said the eye as an organ whose function is to see, including one that is very susceptible to oxidative stress. Light is an important thing to see, but light also can damage the lens when it absorbs ultraviolet radiation is a major source of oxidative stress.

For that there's nothing wrong if you eat foods that contain vitamin C such as oranges, grapefruit, green and red peppers, kiwi fruit, strawberries, broccoli and tomatoes. This could help meet the need of vitamin C thereby reducing the risk of cataracts.

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