Most are familiar with the high incidence of cataracts, but not all know that one of the proposed mechanisms for their formation is the generation of free radicals due to light exposure.

A new article covers the evidence that light exposure causes cataracts and concludes that the hypothesis is strongly supported.  It further discusses the use of nutritional antioxidants that may inhibit the process: ascorbate and pyruvate given orally or topically to mice prevented damage due to UVA exposure; pyruvate inhibited cataract formation due to diabetes and galactosemia.   Caffeine prevented damage due to both UVA and UVB exposure, as well as cataracts due to sodium selenite and high levels of galactose.

Additional studies with diabetes are under way.

For an abstract of the paper, click here ^[1].

Risa Schulman, PhD
Expert, Healthy Food and Dietary Supplement Science, Marketing and Regulatory
Tap~Root