Fruit and vegetable intake reduces glaucoma risk

Increased fruit and vegetable consumption reduces the risk of glaucoma, according to a study reported in the June 2008 issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

A team, led by Anne Coleman of the Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA, California, US, explored the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and the presence of glaucoma in a sample of 1155 women in multiple centres in the US. Of the 1155 women, 95 (8.2%) were diagnosed with glaucoma.

The investigators found that consumption of at least one serving per month of green collards and kale decreased the risk of glaucoma by 69% in women, while glaucoma risk was reduced by 64% in those who consumed more than two servings per week of carrots, compared with those who consumed fewer than one serving per week. Consumption of canned and dried peaches was also found to influence glaucoma risk, reducing risk by 47% in women who consumed at least one serving per week, in comparison to those who consumed fewer than one serving per month.

At the study's conclusion, the investigators felt that a higher consumption of fruit and vegetables reduced the risk of glaucoma; however, they conceded that further studies would need to be performed in order to establish a definitive link.