A clear lens sits near the front section of your eye, just behind the iris, the colored muscle of your eye. Light entering your eye passes through the lens and focuses on the retina, the back of the eye. As part of the natural aging process, the proteins that make up the lens may harden and turn yellow, a condition called a cataract. Knowing how diet and your nutritional intake play a role in cataracts may help you prevent or slow down cataract growth.
Symptoms
Cataracts will progress slowly, and you may not know you have cataracts until your doctor informs you. As the cataract continues to harden, you will notice blurry vision, changes to color, glare problems and poor night vision, explains the National Eye Institute. Significant cataracts may also result in double vision.
Nutrition
A diet rich in lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamins A, C and E may help reduce your risk for cataracts and their symptoms, explains Shereen Jegtvig and Dr. Gary Heiting of website All About Vision. Many fruits and vegetables contain these beneficial nutrients. Select dark green vegetables, citrus fruits, apples, tomatoes and other colorful fresh foods. You may also wish to eat healthy portions of fish, such as salmon, known to contain omega-3 fatty acids.
If necessary, you may need to use supplements that contain these antioxidants and other necessary nutrients. Ask your health care provider to help you determine the best supplements for your eye health and overall health needs.
Other Prevention Measures
In addition to improving your nutritional intake, you may need to make other lifestyle changes to help prevent cataract growth. A simple change involves wearing sunglasses when you go outside, which will reduce your eye's exposure to ultraviolet rays. Other prevention methods include stopping smoking and working toward reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, says MayoClinic.com.
Treatment
Diet and supplements may help you prevent or slow down cataracts, but once the proteins in the lens harden and clump together, forming a cataract, you cannot reverse the damage. If the cataract progresses and results in poor vision, you may need cataract surgery. An eye surgeon will remove the hard cataract and insert a synthetic replacement lens, in a simple, outpatient surgery with little chance of complications. Once removed, the cataract will not return.
Considerations
Always discuss changes to your diet and nutritional intake with your health care provider because some medications and health conditions may require specific dietary considerations. If you take blood-thinning medications, for example, you may need to monitor your intake of vitamin K, found in dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, because this nutrient may intensify the blood-thinning effects of the medication.
