Multivitamin and Cataract

A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye that leads to a decrease in vision. It is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, accounting for about 42% of all blindness.

There is a protective effect for a higher intake or levels of vitamin e, riboflavin, and folate. Multivitamin supplementation for at least once per week for a year or more is found to be associated with a decreased risk of cataracts in the longitudinal study.

Antioxidants (vitamins & lutein & zeaxanthin) and age-related macular degeneration

Currently, one in five people over age 65 are living with age-related macular degeneration, and adults with advanced macular degeneration have a markedly reduced quality of life and need for assistance with activities of daily living.

In general, dietary modification and antioxidant nutritional supplementation show promise as approaches to the prevention of visual loss from age-related macular degeneration. Vitamins and minerals with antioxidant effects such as carotenoids, vitamin e, zinc, vitamin a, vitamin c are beneficial for delaying the ageing process. However, a high concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin is the most effective potential antioxidants for eyes as they inhibit lipid peroxidation ( a part of the age process) in the eyes.

Zinc & vitamin c and eye health

Zinc plays an important role in eye health as it protects eyes from age-related macular degeneration. Zinc in the photoreceptor membranes of retina play a role in protein-protein interactions that is essential to maintain proper cell structure and function of retina cells.

Vitamin c is important to eye health because of its role in protecting the proteins of the lens from oxidation, serving as an antioxidant agents in the retina, and in promoting wound healing in the cornea. Vitamin c is involved in the synthesis and metabolism of collagen in the cornea. Also, it protects the lens and retina from oxidative stress, as an absorber of UV radiation in the cornea and aqueous humor.