A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens.  It is the most common cause of blindness worldwide.  In developed countries almost all cataracts are successfully treated with surgery.  Factors that predispose one to the development of cataracts are old age, diabetes, exposure to radiation or heavy metals, eye injury, the use of medications like steroids and heredity.

Having a cataract is like having a dirty lens on your camera;  your vision is fogged, blurred and distorted.  Many people with cataracts often become restricted with daily activities because of this, including restrictions on: driving, reading, using a computer or merely watching television.

The most common type of cataract is the senile cataract, which is the type that occurs with old age. It is believed to form after years of uncontrolled free radical damage in the eye.  Free radicals are unstable molecules that in their bid to become more stable must bump into healthy cells and cause damage.  They bond with the cells of the different tissues in our bodies (in this case the eye) and cause a type of damage analogous to rusting of metal.  Food, water and ultraviolet radiation from the sun are the major contributors of free radicals that build up in the eye, but now the depletion of nutrients from our food supply because of over-farming also contributes.

Treatment of cataracts with surgery is effective, but this does not mean that cataracts have to be inevitable.  There are many clinically proven alternative ways to reduce the likelihood of developing a cataract.

To prevent cataracts avoid direct sunlight.  Use sunglasses, with full UV protection, to protect your eyes.  Avoid drug therapies that predispose you to cataract formation, for example prednisone.

Smoking generates large amounts of free radicals and is thought to be a risk factor for cataract formation.  Reducing your free radical exposure can dramatically reduce the likelihood that you will develop serious cataracts in your lifetime.

A diet high in antioxidants including whole grains, raw fruits and raw vegetables decreases free radical damage.  Eat foods containing lutein and zeaxanthin like broccoli, collards, kale, mustard greens, spinach and turnip greens.   Eat foods rich in flavinoids and vitamins C and E like blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and other fruits and vegetables.  Yellow fruits and vegetables should be consumed for their vitamin A content.  Drink lots of filtered water.  Avoid chlorinated and fluoridated water.

It is important to remember that the formation of cataracts is a sign of overall free radical exposure to your body.  Because your eyes are more sensitive to oxidative damage, it is manifested there first, but a cataract will also be a sign of free radical damage to other parts of your body, too, but which may not yet be noticeable.

The following list of supplements can be used for treating and preventing cataracts.  Adult doses are given.  (CLICK SUPPLEMENT NAME FOR PRODUCTS).