Cataracts: Carbohydrates could increase your risk
Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world. The UNs World Health Organisation estimates between 16 to 20 million people worldwide are currently blind as a result of this condition. Proteins in the eyes lens unravel, tangle and accumulate pigments that cloud the lens and eventually lead to blindness. The normal process of ageing can make the lens harden and turn cloudy making them more common in older people.
Now, scientists have found a way you can help prevent the formation of cortical cataracts which forms in the lens cortex and gradually extend its spokes from the outside of the lens to the centre.
New research suggests that the higher the carbohydrate intake, the greater the risk an elderly woman will develop this kind of cataract.
Carbs are linked to a higher risk of cataracts
Scientists working for the Agricultural Research Service, the US governments scientific agency, found that women in the study whose average carbohydrate intake was between 200 and 268 grams per day were 2.5 times more likely to get cortical cataracts than the women whose intake was between 101 and 185 grams per day.
The US recommended dietary allowance for daily carbohydrate intake for adults and children is 130 grams, which is based on how much glucose the brain needs. Carbohydrates are mainly sugars and starches that the body breaks down into glucose, a simple sugar that feeds the bodys cells.
The scientists suggest that a high carbohydrate diet could potentially increase the lens proteins exposure to glucose.
If you have to eat carbs, stick to carbs with a low GI
The drawback to this study is that while it demonstrates a need to reduce carbs in your diet, it doesnt identify which type of carb to avoid, simple or complex.
Simple carbohydrates contain naturally occurring sugars, such as those found in fruit and can rapidly be converted into glucose. Complex carbohydrates are present in most grain products, and are digested at a much slower rate.
A good general plan to follow is to limit overall carb intake. And when you do eat carbs, it is best to stick to carbs with a low GI (glycaemic index) and ones high in fibre. If youd like to learn more about the GI Index, go to glycemicindex.com, where you can access a large database that lists foods and their GI rankings.
The scientists are currently unaware if these findings could be generalised to men and other age groups. But the mechanisms underlying cataract development have not been known to vary by sex or socio-economic status.
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