Vitamin C may prevent cataracts

If you happen to love orange juice, gulp down another glass as a recent study points to a diet rich in vitamin C may help to prevent the formation of cataracts. Researchers were looking to determine the effect of diet on the progression of cataracts. The researchers used the UK Twins Registry to study 1,000 pairs of female twins around the age of 60. The study participants were given a detailed questionnaire regarding their daily nutrient intake and their eyes were scanned to track the development of cataracts. What the research team found was that participants who had a regular serving of vitamin C in addition to a minimum of two servings of fruits and vegetables a day were 20 percent less likely to develop cataracts. Researchers then contacted the test subjects 10 years later and found that those subjects who had more vitamin C in their diet were 33 percent less likely to develop cataracts than those who did not eat a diet rich in vitamin C. Those participants who had the best results had a consistent diet of at least twice the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. Researchers noted that 65 percent of the risk in developing cataracts is derived from environmental factors including the diet with the remaining 35 percent of the risk being attributed to genetics.*