|
Study: Moderate red wine consumption
cuts cataract risk
Here's another reason for wine lovers to say "Cheers": A
study presented at the annual meeting of the Association for
Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, found that moderate red wine
consumption can cut your risk of developing cataracts in half.
The study was was part of the larger Reykjavik Eye Study, a
five-year investigation into age-related eye disease that
initially included 1,045 people, all over the age of 50. Data on
846 people was included in the cataract study.
When the study began, all of the participants underwent lens
imaging to determine whether they had cataracts, which is a
clouding of the eye lens that can cause vision to become blurry or
impaired. They also completed questionnaires on their medical
history, diet, and more. Five years later, participants' eyes were
re-examined and they filled out questionnaires detailing their
alcohol consumption. Participants were then characterized in terms
of their alcohol consumption as lifetime abstainers, former
drinkers, people who consume less than one drink per month and
drinkers - those who consume more than two drinks per month.
Of the 846 participants, 318 were classified as drinkers, with
nearly 300 of them considered moderate drinkers and 18 considered
heavy drinkers. Heavy drinkers were defined as drinking 24 g of
ethanol (the amount in roughly half a litre of beer or eight
ounces of wine) per day for men or 12 g a day for women, while
moderate drinking was loosely defined as ranging from two drinks
per month to two or three per day.
After five years, 32% of the non-drinkers and 22% of the drinkers
had cataracts. Of those who imbibed, beer drinkers faced the
highest risk, followed by hard liquor drinkers and red wine
drinkers. White wine was not included in the study because, as the
researchers noted, it is not commonly consumed in Iceland, where
the investigation took place.
After accounting for age, smoking habits, diabetes, and other
factors, the researchers found moderate wine drinkers reduced
their incidence of developing any kind of cataracts by about 50%,
compared to non-drinkers.
While moderate alcohol consumption has been linked to a slew of
health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, excess
drinking is associated with liver problems, high blood pressure,
and more. And people using some medications, including blood
thinners and some kinds of antibiotics and pain relievers, people
with liver or pancreatic disease, and some other conditions may
need to abstain. If you aren't sure, talk to your doctor.
|
We suggest you bookmark this site and come back often
