Safeguard Your Vision! New Study Determines Significant Reduction of Risk of Cataracts by Eating Healthy

How many times were we all told to watch what we eat? Make better choices? Cut down on fat? Watch those carbs? Well honestly sometimes you feel like you just don't know what to eat or who to trust. But a new study is now showing us some real benefits to eating healthy.

Healthy eating is not just good for your heart and arteries anymore. It isn't just only all about losing weight. Now eating healthy is good for your eyes.

It's no longer just about your heart, now we should eat for our eyes.

The study included 1800 women. It was found that those who did the best with eating the recommended dietary guidelines, keeping the food pyramid in mind, and the recommended types of food we all know are good for us, had a 37% lower risk for developing cataracts. In the United States, cataracts are the most common visual problem.

The study even took into account all the non dietary related factors for developing this visual problem and the 37% lower risk still held.

37% lower risk of cataracts connected to healthy eating

So the foods this study group ate included a lot of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, protein but only lean protein such as beans, fish and eggs. And they were careful to have only small amounts of fat and low salt intake.

In general, there was a higher incidence of cataracts associated with poor diet, but also with other lifestyle factors such as smoking and obesity. Interestingly, having brown eyes or being nearsighted were also factors for increased incidence of cataracts.

Higher incidence of cataracts associated with unhealthy diet

As we age the risk for getting cataracts increases. In fact we associate cataracts with old age. However, cataracts can develop in young people as well. But this study does make it seem that some risk factors such as diet and lifestyle can be controlled by the individual and this can decrease the risk for developing cataracts.

Some pretty daunting statistics according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology show that more than 20 million People in the United States, 40 years and older have cataracts. And even worse, by the time we are 80, half of all Americans have developed cataracts.

Half of all Americans will have cataracts by the time they are 80

In fact, there are so many people with cataracts being treated that it has caused a heavy economic toll. So it seems sensible that reducing the risk for cataracts would create a considerable cost savings. Cataract removal surgery is responsible for 60% of vision related Medicare expenditures.

The study does duly note that the reduction in cataract risk was not due to "any single dimension of diet". It was also noted that the women who ate the recommended dietary allowances also were better educated, older, lived a healthier lifestyle such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercised and did not smoke.

So it would seem that if we want to continuing seeing well in our older years it would behoove us to eat better and live a healthy lifestyle. So get going, and eat those carrots.

Source:

WebMD