October 8, 1997
Contact:
Mary Burnette
202-872-1488
VITAMIN C REDUCES CATARACTS
Long-term use of vitamin C supplements may substantially reduce the development of age-related eye disease. A new study published in the October American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that women who had consumed a vitamin C supplement for more than 10 years had a 77 percent lower incidence of early lens opacity (cloudiness on the lens) and an 83 percent lower rate of moderate lens opacity. Lens opacity is an early stage in the development of cataracts.
The study, conducted at Tufts University, involved 247 Boston-area women 56 to 71 years old. Of the women who had taken vitamin C supplements for more than 10 years, the amount taken ranged from 400 milligrams (mg) per day to over 700 mg/day. None of these women developed moderate cataracts, leading the researchers to conclude "these data, together with the results from experimental studies and previous epidemiologic findings for cataract extraction, suggest that long-term consumption of high amounts of vitamin C (primarily through supplements) may substantially reduce the development of age-related lens opacities."
The researchers cite previous epidemiologic studies of age-related cataracts which have also suggested a protective role for vitamin C. A study published in 1989 in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences found that the rate of cataracts in persons who consumed daily vitamin C supplements of 300 mg or more was one-third less than those who did not consume supplements. In a review article published in 1992 in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Dr. Allen Taylor of Tufts University suggests that adequate intakes of antioxidant vitamins might delay cataract development enough to decrease the number of cataract operations in the U.S. by fifty percent.
Many factors contribute to age-related deterioration of the eye. One of the key contributors is exposure to ultraviolet light, which can oxidize and damage eye protein. If the damage is excessive and the body falls behind in repairing it, the oxidized protein accumulates and the lens becomes opaque. Vitamin C, an antioxidant, assists in this repair process.
Eye specialists often recommend patients eat lots of dark green leafy vegetables, stop smoking, and protect their eyes from excessive UV exposure. A recent edition of the Review of Optometry also recommends patients take antioxidants and zinc to delay or prevent age-related diseases including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
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