Lower Risk of Cataracts For Vegetarians

Cataract

What Is a Cataract?

A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light. Early in the development of age-related cataract the power of the lens may be increased, causing near-sightedness (myopia), and the gradual yellowing and opacification of the lens may reduce the perception of blue colours. Cataracts typically progress slowly to cause vision loss and are potentially blinding if untreated. The condition usually affects both eyes, but almost always one eye is affected earlier than the other.

People who eat meat may be at increased risk of developing cataracts compared to vegetarians, a new study shows. Researchers at the University of Oxford in England say vegetarians and vegans are 30% to 40% less likely to develop cataracts than people who eat a lot of meat. Other factors, such as smoking, diabetes, and exposure to bright sunlight, also have been linked to greater risk of cataracts.

Researchers studied data on 27,670 people participating in the European Prospective Investigation in Cancer and Nutrition study. The participants in the study, all older than 40, were asked to fill out dietary surveys between 1993 and 1999. They were checked on between 2008 and 2009 to see if they had developed cataracts; about 1,500 had developed cataracts.

The participants were divided into groups according to the amount of meat they ate:

• Highest meat consumption: 3.5 ounces or more a day.
• Mid-range meat consumption: 1.7 to 3.4 ounces a day.
• Low-meat consumption: less than 1.7 ounces a day.
• Fish eaters: Those who ate fish but not meat.
• Vegetarians: Those who did not eat meat or fish but did eat dairy products and/or eggs.
• Vegans: Those who did not eat meat, fish, dairy products, or eggs. 

Compared with those who ate the most meat, the risks for developing cataracts were lower for all other groups. Mid-range meat eaters had a decreased cataract risk of 4%, low-meat eaters 15%, fish eaters 21%, vegetarians 30%, and vegans 40%. The researchers found that the progressive decrease in cataract risk was seen for both men and women but appeared to be confined to participants 65 and older at recruitment.

Prevention
At present, there is no real effective way to prevent the formation of cataracts, so secondary prevention involves controlling other eye diseases that can cause cataracts and minimizing exposure to factors that promote cataracts.

Wearing sunglasses outside during the day might reduce your chances of developing cataracts or having problems with the retina. Some sunglasses can filter out UV light, reducing exposure to harmful UV radiation and might slow the progression of cataracts.

Some people take vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts to decrease cataract formation. No scientific data prove that these remedies are effective. No topical or oral medications or supplements are proven to decrease the chance of developing cataracts.

A healthy lifestyle might help, just as a healthy lifestyle helps prevent other diseases in the body. Eat a proper diet, get regular exercise and rest, and do not smoke. If you have diabetes, tight blood-sugar control can delay the otherwise accelerated development of cataracts.

Cataract Symptoms
Having cataracts is often compared to looking through a foggy windshield of a car or through the dirty lens of a camera. Cataracts may cause a variety of complaints and visual changes, including blurred vision, difficulty with glare (often with bright sun or automobile headlights while driving at night), dulled color vision, increased nearsightedness accompanied by frequent changes in eyeglass prescription, and occasionally double vision in one eye. Some people notice a phenomenon called "second sight" in which one's reading vision improves as a result of their increased nearsightedness from swelling of the cataract. A change in glasses may help initially once vision begins to change from cataracts; however, as cataracts continue to progress and opacify, vision becomes cloudy and stronger glasses or contact lenses will no longer improve sight.

Cataracts are usually gradual and usually not painful or associated with any eye redness or other symptoms unless they become extremely advanced. Rapid and/or painful changes in vision are suspicious for other eye diseases and should be evaluated by an eye-care professional.