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The risk of cataracts, may be reduced by long-term use of a daily
multivitamin, recent study findings suggest.
- Researchers examined data from more than 3,000 people aged 43
to 86 years.
- Individuals who took a multivitamin or a supplement that contained
vitamin C or E for more than
10 years had a 60% lower risk of developing a cataract regardless
of other risk factors.
- Taking the multivitamins or supplements for less
than 10 years did not
appear to lower the risk.
People who took vitamin pills tended to be:
- Higher consumption of fruits and vegetables
This evidence of cataract protection is even more important because
as the ranks of elderly Americans continues to swell, the incidence
of cataracts is expected to triple in the next half century, the
researchers report.
"There is evidence that certain dietary components, such as
vitamins and minerals involved in protection against oxidative stress,
may have a role in slowing cataract development," the study
authors write.
Archives of Ophthalmology
November, 2000;118:1556-1563
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