Can the old adage – eating carrots improves your eyesight – really be true?
Well, scientists recently decided to test it. However, although no direct link has been found to confirm this old wives’ tale, researchers do appear to suggest eating healthier is likely to benefit vision as well as overall general health.
Speaking with the Daily Telegraph, Professor Ian Grierson, who is head of ophthalmology at the University of Liverpool, and one of the pioneers in nutritional research, said: “It is quite difficult to show real benefit to an individual, that by changing their diet it will benefit their sight – the studies needed would be too big and expensive.”
Previous research however has found a link between the lack of vitamin A (found in carrots) and an eye disorder which is a common cause of blindness in under developed countries called xerophthalmia.
More recently, scientists have been trying to determine a link between diet, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This has been the focus by Professor Grierson, who said: “My interest is in AMD. For a lot of sufferers of this condition, there are no treatments at all, so it occurred to me to look at the risk factors for the disease instead, with a view to prevention.
“These risk factors don’t just make you more prone to developing AMD, but to it becoming more severe if you do have it.”
He added: “AMD is on the march as we are all living longer [according to the Macular Disease Society, AMD affects 30 million people worldwide, half a million of them in the UK], and it is undoubtedly lifestyle related.
“The main risk factors are gender (females are more susceptible), your age (the older you are, the more likely you are to develop it), whether you smoke or have done, your weight, and your diet.”
Will taking supplements help? Professor Grierson would prefer people to eat well. “Use your common sense,” he suggests.
“Creating a vitamin supplement is an expensive business, so don’t look for or expect a bargain. Find one that gives you 6mg of lutein a day.”