Vitamin E Shown to Benefit Eye Health

by | Sep 4, 2008 | 2008, Eye Health, Vitamin E

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. The researchers concluded that “it can nonetheless be viewed…that antioxidative agents may play a role in delaying cataract formation”.

Cataracts are defined as “a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision”.  They are the most common cause of blindness worldwide (1) and affect more than half of all Americans over the age of 80 (2).

More than 1.5 million cataract operations are performed in the U.S. alone each year (3), costing our healthcare system over $3.4 billion each year (4). A recent study (5) has found that vitamin E benefits eye health and cataracts.

Previous research has shown that those supplementing with vitamin E for 10 years have a 42% reduced risk of cataracts (6).  Building on these findings, 57 patients with cataracts and 31 patients without cataracts provided information on whether they were taking vitamin E supplements, smoked, or had any systemic disease.  They also provided blood samples to measure their antioxidant levels.  The researchers found that those with cataracts had vitamin E blood levels that were 31% lower than those without cataracts (9.16 + 2.53 micrograms per ml vs. 13.26 + 57 micrograms/ml).  These results confirm studies done in 1988 (7) and 1996 (8).

Although admitting that this is a small study, the researchers concluded that “it can nonetheless be viewed…that antioxidative agents may play a role in delaying cataract formation” and that “we encourage individuals to maintain healthy nutrition, with a diet containing plenty of antioxidant vitamins.”

Source: Nourmohammadi, I., M. Modarress, K. Khanaki, and M. Shaabani. “Association of serum α-tocopherol, retinol and ascorbic acid with the risk of cataract development.” Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 52, no. 4 (2008): 296-298.

© 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

Posted September 4, 2008.

Reference:

  1. Foster A, Johnson GJ. Magnitude and causes of blindness in the developing world. Int Ophthalmol 1990;14:135-40.
  2. National Eye Institute Website
  3. Schein OD, Katz J, Bass EB, et al. The value of routine preoperative medical testing before cataract surgery. N Engl J Med 2000; 342: 168–75.
  4. Steinberg EP, Javitt JC, Sharkey PD, et al. The content and cost of cataract surgery. Arch Ophthalmol 1993; 111: 1041–9.
  5. Nourmohammadi I.  Association of Serum alpha-Tocopherol, Retinol and Ascorbic Acid with the Risk of Cataract Development.  Ann Nutr Metab 2008;52:296-298  (DOI:10.1159/000148189).
  6. Jacques PF.  Long-term Nutrient Intake and 5-Year Change in Nuclear Lens Opacities.  Arch Ophthalmol. 2005;123:517-526.
  7. Jacques PF, Chylack LT, McGandy RB, Hartz SC: Antioxidant status in persons with and without senile cataract. Arch Ophthalmol 1988; 106: 337–676.
  8. Rouhiainen P, Rouhiainen H, Salonen JT: Association between low plasma vitamin E concentration and progression of early cortical lens opacities. Am J Epidemiol 1996; 144: 496–500.