Several studies have found people who have high levels of antioxidants in the body, including vitamin C, the risk for cataracts is lower.
However, most studies were conducted on the population in Western countries. Therefore the researchers tried to conduct research involving respondents from developing countries like India, where vitamin C adequacy rate was still low and relatively high prevalence of cataracts.
For the study, researchers evaluated more than 5,600 adults in India aged over 60 years. Respondents were interviewed about diet and lifestyle as well as taking blood samples to measure vitamin C levels in the body.
In general, nearly 73 percent of study participants suffered from cataracts. But people who have high enough levels of vitamin C, the risk was reduced by 39 percent compared with a vitamin deficiency.
In that study most of the respondents lack of vitamin C, even nearly 30 percent had a vitamin C concentration below the lower limit of detection (less than 2 mikromoles per liter). Whereas under 11 mikromoles per liter is considered a deficiency of vitamin C.
The results of this study published in the journal Ophtalmology. But do not conclude that the adequacy of vitamin C will prevent cataracts.
Even so, senior researcher Astrid Fletcher, said vitamin C is an antioxidant that can protect the body from free radicals.
"Lab studies on animals have suggested vitamin C has an important role to protect the lens from oxidative stress," he said.
Eyes, according to him, are particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress. "Light is essential for vision but also very damaging light. Ultarviolet The lens absorbs radiation, the major source of oxidative stress," he explained.
Several studies conducted in developed countries does not show the same results as in India. Fletcher argues halitu because people from these countries have a good nutritional status so that additional doses of vitamin supplements do not help enough.
"Vitamin C is water soluble so the excess easily removed. Besides taking vitamin supplements is difficult to match the effects of vitamins from food," he said.
Vitamin C-laden foods such as fruit color, kiwi, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes as well.
EmoticonEmoticon