Antioxidants did not decrease cataract progression

[Joyce]

Antioxidant supplements did not decrease cataract progression in rural south Indian population weblink:aaoblasts.aao.org/t/56391/7762579/21047/0/
This five year, randomized, placebo-controlled trial finds beta carotene and vitamins C and E did not slow cataract progression in a population with a high prevalence of cataract whose diet is generally deficient in antioxidants. British Journal of Ophthalmology, July 2006 weblink:bjo.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/90/7/847

http://bjo.bmjjournals.com/cgi/conte...tract/90/7/847

[liverock]

Most studies show that antioxidants are only effective for preventing cataract formation when taken over a long period of time, double the time of this study.
http://www.naturalproductsinsider.co...111study4.html

The form of vitamin E that is used is also important, as gamma tochopherol is proving to be a much more effective scavenger of free radicals than the more commonly used alpha tocopherol.

Indians are using much more vegetable oil in their cooking than in the past. Vanaspati ghee, a hydrogenated vegetable oil appears to be replacing Desi ghee, a butter derivative oil. As oxidized vegetable oil is considered to be one of the main reasons for cataract formation it looks like there could well be an increase in this disease in that part of the world.