CATARACTS

Cataracts are one of the major health problems troubling Americans. They are one of the leading causes of loss of sight in our country; four million people have some degree of vision impairment due to cataracts. These statistics are reflected in the queries from my radio audience; I receive more calls about cataracts than almost any other condition.

Cataracts are primarily a degenerative impairment, which is to say that if we live long enough, most of us will experience some degree of cloudiness in our vision. Cataracts can also be caused by disease, particularly diabetes, trauma to the eye, a congenital defect, or exposure to German measles during fetal development.

A cataract simply refers to the clouding of the lens of the eye. This lens, flexible, transparent, and crucial to normal vision, is located behind the pupil and the iris. Attached to muscles on all sides, it flattens or becomes rounded, enabling the eye to focus on objects near or far. Over time, certain factors cause the lens to become less transparent. When cataracts begin to develop, you might notice a slight cloudiness, which makes you want to use a brighter light for reading, or you might have difficulty driving at night because of the glare of oncoming headlights. You might find that bright sunlight adversely affects your vision. Cataracts may develop unevenly: One eye might be afflicted while the other is fine, or both may cloud but the degree of cloudiness may differ from one eye to the other. Cataracts may develop very quickly or very slowly over a period of years. In the case of a severe cataract, the pupil of the eye becomes white, but early cases show no change in the eye visible on inspection without instruments.

If cataracts have developed to the point where they severely impair your vision, surgery is the only course. Some people are frightened by the prospect of eye surgery, and this is understandable. But to be blinded or severely impaired because of fear of what is actually simple surgery is a tragedy. The surgery takes about a half-hour and is done under a local anesthetic. You can be operated on in the morning and be home that same day. There have been reports of natural remedies reversing cataracts, but I take a conservative route on this. I repeat, if your cataracts have compromised your vision to the point where you cannot carry on a normal life, you should arrange for surgery; natural treatments will probably not help.

If, however, your cataracts are in the very beginning stages or if you know that cataracts run in your family and you want to prevent them, natural remedies may both improve your current condition and prevent any further development.

As we age many of our body parts tend to “wear out.” This seems normal and to be expected, and to some degree it is. But when we investigate the body on a microbiological level, we sometimes discover that when we understand what makes things wear out, we can prevent their degeneration. So it is with cataracts. Cataract formation is connected with an inability to maintain normal levels of sodium, potassium, and calcium within the lens of the eye. We now know that this occurs because damage to the “pumping system” that maintains these levels has occurred. Free-radical damage at the cellular level is the main cause of damage to the system.

If free radicals are a cause of cataracts, then the antioxidant vitamins E, C, beta-carotene, and selenium, which prevent free-radical damage, are crucial to preventing their development. One study found that those who took between 300 and 600 mg. of vitamin C daily had a 70 percent reduction in cataract risk; those who took 400 I.U. of vitamin E had a 50 percent reduction. Most significantly, people who took both supplements were almost entirely free of cataracts. Another fourteen-year study that involved 50,000 women found a 40 percent lower rate of cataract surgery among women whose diets were rich in vitamin A compared with those whose diets lacked the vitamin.

In addition, it’s important to be sure that your diet is rich in food sources of antioxidants, specifically fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to follow the new guidelines that recommend five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily.

Inositol-part of the vitamin B complex-has been shown in experiments to be protective against the development of cataracts.

Recent research has pointed to a molecule called pantethine, which is present in all cells of the body, as helping in preventing the clumping of proteins in the eye that causes cataracts. Pantethine is the active form of pantothenic acid, one of the vitamins in the B complex.

Another factor in cataract development that we can control is exposure to ultraviolet light. Long-term exposure to ultraviolet light ultimately damages the lens of the eye by causing the release of free radicals. You can avoid the problem by wearing dark sunglasses and/or a brimmed hat whenever you’re in the sun.

Recent research has also shown that cigarette smoke can lead to the development of cataracts and plays a significant role in worsening cataracts that have already developed. Smoking is a major risk factor in so many serious health problems, and here’s just one more bit of evidence. If you smoke and are beginning to develop cataracts, perhaps this research will convince you to stop.

Finally, diets that are high in sugar have been implicated in promoting cataract development. For this reason, as well as others involving sugar and its connection to health problems, I recommend that you restrict your intake of sugar if you are developing cataracts or if cataracts run in your family.

NATURAL TREATMENTS FOR CATARACTS

• If impairment is severe, surgery is the only alternative.
• If cloudiness is just beginning, nutritional treatment can be successful and you should make sure that you get five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily.
• Avoid exposure to ultraviolet light by wearing dark glasses.
• Reduce your sugar intake.

IN ADDITION TO YOUR DAILY SUPPLEMENTS, TAKE:

• Vitamin C with bioflavonoids: 1,000 mg. daily.
• Vitamin E: 400 I.U. daily.
• Selenium: 50 meg. daily.
• Beta.carotene: 10,000 I.U. daily.
• Inositol: 500 to 1,000 mg. daily.
• Pantethine: 300 mg. three times daily.