Cataract Prevention

Diet and Nutrition: (references)

• Avoid rancid foods and all other sources of free radicals
• Eat more foods high in sulfur-containing amino acids (more grains and legumes)
• Reduce intake of animal fats
• Avoid all dairy products
• Use lots of the spice, tumeric (curcumin)
• Reduce but do not eliminate alcohol consumption

Vitamins and Minerals: (references)

• Vitamin B1: 100 mg.
• Vitamin C: 1 gm. TID
• Vitamin E: 800 I.U.
• Beta-Carotene: 200,000 I.U.
• Zinc: 30 - 45 mg.
• Copper: 2 - 4 mg.
• Selenium: 400 mcg.

Supplements: (references)

• 5-Hydroxytryptophan : 50 - 200 mg. TID (Note: approximately 1-3% of oral tryptophan enters the brain compared to 70% of oral 5-HTP)
• L-Glutathione: 500 mg. BID away from food
• Quercetin (if diabetic): 500 mg. TID, 30 minutes before meals
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: 2 - 5 gm. TID
• Melatonin: 3-6 mg. at 9PM

Botanicals: (references)

• Tincture - Vaccinium myrtillus: take 1/4 tsp. TID
• Curcuma longa: 450 mg. (standardized to contain 95% curcuminoids) daily with food

• Individual botanicals to be considered for this condtion:
  Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry)

Homeopathic Remedies: (references)

• General cataract:
  
  am-c, am-m, ant-t, apis, arn, bar-c, bell, CALC, CALC-F, calc-p, calc-s, cann-s, carb-an, CAUST, chel, chin, cine, coch, colch, con dig, euph, euphr, hep, hyos, iod, kali-c, kali-m, kali-sil, kreos, lac-c, led, lyc, MAG-C, merc, naph, nat-m, nit-ac, op, PHOS, plb, psor, puls, rhus-t, ruta, sant, sec, seneg, sep, SIL, spig, SULPH, tell, thiosin, zinc
• Left eye cataract:
  
  phos, sulph
• Right eye cataract:
  
  am-c, kali-c, nit-ac, sil
• Senile cataract:
  
  carb-an, sec
• Cataracts in women:
  
  sep

(For an overview of Homeopathy, click here.)   

Other Therapies: (references)

• Avoid direct sunlight (UV exposure)
• Stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke (cadmium toxicity)
• If obese, lose weight
• Avoid the use of statin (cholesterol-lowering) drugs without also taking suitable amounts of Coenzyme Q10
• Chelate lead if high levels are detected

Recommended Labs:

• Check for cataract: Ophthalmic Exam, Visual Acuity, Pupil Dilation, Tonometry
• Rule out corneal dystrophies: Ophthalmic Exam, Visual Acuity, Pupil Dilation
• Rule out diabetic lens: Visual Acuity, Eye Exam, Urinalysis, Fasting Glucose, Fructosamine, Hemoglobin A1c
• Rule out glaucoma: Visual Acuity, Pupil Dilation, Tonometry, Air Puff, Glaucoma, Gonioscopy, Endocyanine Green Eye Dye
• Rule out macular degeneration: Visual Acuity, Ophthalmic Exam, Photograph of Retina
• Rule out macular hole: Visual Acuity, Ophthalmic Exam, Pupil Dilation
• Rule out ocular histoplasmosis syndrome: Eye Exam for Histo Spots, Amsler Grid, Pupil Dilation, Fluorescein Angiography

*  The recommended use of this supplement or therapy is based on a physiological mechanism or empirical data and is not necessarily supported by peer-reviewed research studies.

Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).