Vitamin C Linked to Reduced Risk of Cataracts

Abstracted from the article Vitamin C is Associated with Reduced Risk of Cataract in Mediterranean Population, from the Journal of Nutrition, volume 132, 2002

By Sarah Segreti

Researchers studying Mediterranean populations found that vitamin C may be linked to a reduced risk of cataracts. Cataracts are a health problem that affects the vision of elderly individuals and substantially increases health care costs for that age group.

Participants aged 55 to 74 years old were recruited from an ophthalmic clinic in Valencia, Spain. They were interviewed about their diet with a food frequency questionnaire and asked about factors such as smoking, alcohol use and education. Blood samples were also taken from each volunteer.

The results showed that participants with higher levels of blood vitamin C had a 64% reduction in cataract risk compared to participants with lower levels. Along with vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium were also shown to decrease the risk of cataracts, but not as significantly.

Researchers believe that this study strengthens their claim that vitamin C has a positive effect on vision in the elderly population.