Cataract is a very common eye ailment generally associated with old age. Now-a-days it is easily treatable by a simple lens transplant and laser surgery. But they are also a major cause of blindness worldwide is left untreated.
According to a recent study at ARS Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, women who ate an average of 200 to 268 grams of carbohydrates every day were more than twice as likely to develop cortical cataracts as women whose meals provided between 101 and 185 grams by day's end.This study links high carbohydrate intake with high risk of cataract. The recommended daily allowance for carbohydrates for adults and kids is 130 grams.
The researchers analyzed eye exam results and 14 years' worth of food records collected from 417 women, age 53 to 73. The women, participants in the nationwide Nurses' Health Study, did not have a history of cataracts but were recently diagnosed with the disease.
Scientists don't know why there appears to be a link between high-carb intakes and increase cataract risk. One possibility is that increased exposure to glucose, a breakdown product of carb, might damage our eyes' lenses. More research is needed to determine if there are other factors besides dietary carbohydrates among individuals who consume high carbohydrate diets that are responsible for this finding.
To say that a low carbohydrate diet is better would also be premature at this stage.
