Caffeine May Prevent Cataracts

Chalk another one up for the positive health benefits of caffeine!

A recent study showed that caffeine eye drops prevented cataracts from forming in the eyes of rats.

Cataracts are responsible for nearly half of the world wide cases of blindness and can be removed with surgery, but this new study may soon make surgeries unnecessary.

The study was conducted by Shambhu D. Varma, Svitlana Kovtun, Kavita Hegde at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University Of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD where baby rats were feed a diet high in galactose which causes cataracts to form. One group of rats was given eye drops containing caffeine the other group was given a placebo eye drop. The rats given the caffeine had greatly reduced cataract formation compared to the placebo group.

Researchers say that the therapy now needs to be adapted so it can be compatible with the human eye. Humans would have to consume over 6 cups of coffee (more than 600mg) daily to equal the cataract stopping properties the rats experienced. Further testing will be and work will be needed to develop caffeine eye drops suitable for the human eye. We should note that this study focused on the type of cataracts that usually develop in those with diabetes.

This is great news for caffeine lovers as well as those who have a family history of developing cataracts and/or diabetes. Looks like some more evidence that suggests caffeine does a body good.