Of all the superfoods you’ve heard about recently, the ones that can super-charge your health and help prevent all sorts of diseases, there’s one that stands out from the crowd. You’ve probably read about the powers of green tea . Now, you can add exceptional eye health protection to that list. Studies across the globe have proven the power of the antioxidants in green tea to prevent the progression of two eye conditions that rob thousands of people of their vision each year…
Cataracts: the leading cause of blindness- According to the World Health Organization, cataracts are responsible for more than half of blindness worldwide. The main symptom of cataracts is blurry vision, feeling like you are looking through a cloudy or fogged-up window. A person with cataracts may also have trouble with night vision, or experience double vision in the affected eye. Surgical treatment can prevent blindness and improve vision, if done before cataracts are too advanced.
Glaucoma: the sneaky thief of vision- After cataracts, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. You are at greater risk of developing glaucoma if you are over 60, have a family history of the condition, or are nearsighted. The most common type of glaucoma often has no early symptoms at all, other than gradual loss of vision. A rare type of glaucoma brings eye pain, nausea and sudden vision loss.
Green tea fights these vision-stealers- Study after study has shown that green tea provides potent ingredients that strengthen the eyes and help prevent both cataracts and glaucoma. The secret ingredient? A protective compound called epigallocatechin gallate, or ECGC. Catechins are the important component of this compound. A 2001 study in the journal Experimental Eye Research found that the catechins in green tea can actually prevent cataract-induced blindness. In 2002, a study from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences discovered that green tea leaf extract protected the eyes of rats from forming cataracts. In a 2007 study, green tea antioxidants were added to human retinal pigment epithelial cells, causing the cell count and activity to increase (epithelial cells cover and protect the cornea, and protect against UV damage).
Finally, two studies in 2010 clearly demonstrated the power of green tea’s antioxidants to relieve the oxidative stress that leads to glaucoma. In one study, researchers found that the protective effect of catechins remained at work for up to 20 hours after subjects drank green tea.
How to get your daily dose of green tea-To gain the benefits of green tea experienced in many tea-drinking cultures, the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests drinking two to three cups of green tea per day, giving you between 240 and 320 milligrams of polyphenols. Not all green tea is created equal, though. Quality varies, and many commercial brands can contain pesticides and toxic contaminants. It’s best to select a high-quality, organic green tea.
