Eating a diet that contains plenty of carotenoids may help to ward off cataracts. Researchers at Southampton General Hospital in the UK found that people whose blood contained high levels of alpha-carotenes, beta-carotene, or lycopene were significantly less likely to develop cataracts than people with lower blood-levels of the chemicals. Conversely, the antioxidant vitamins C and E did not appear to protect against cataracts. Several large-scale clinical trials to determine whether vitamin E, vitamin C, or beta-carotene supplementation can prevent the development of age-related cataracts are currently underway. However, the results of this study suggest that carotenoid supplementation is more likely to prevent the development or progression of cataracts.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Ophthalmology 2001; 108:1992-1998
