-IBIS-1.7.0-
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eyes/ears/nose/throat
cataract
Nutrition

dietary guidelines

eating principles:

• low sugar, low fat diet of unsaturated fats

• calorie percentages: 70% complex carbohydrates, protein 12-15%, fat 15-18%

therapeutic foods:

• foods high in sulphur-containing amino acids: garlic, onions, legumes

• foods high in carotenoids, Vitamins A and C

• chrysanthemum, cilantro, spinach, cloves, water chestnuts, yams, lycium, black beans (Ni, p. 111)

• endive (Walker, p. 53)

fresh juices:

• carrot (Walker, p. 129)

• carrot and spinach (Walker, p. 129)

• carrot, beet, and cucumber (Walker, p. 129)

• carrot, celery, endive, and parsley (Walker, p. 129)

• carrot, celery, parsley and endive (Walker, p. 53)

avoid:

• trans-fatty acids, hydrogenated oils (margarine, vegetable shortenings, imitation butter spreads, most commercial peanut butters) oxidized fats (deep fried foods, fast food, ghee, barbequed meats) (Marz)

• spices, salt, garlic (Ni, p. 111)

• Iron (Marz)

supplements

riboflavin (use < 10 mg) (Shalka, 1981)

Vitamin C (Varma, 1979) 1 g three times daily

Vitamin E 800 IU per day (Varma, 1982)

bioflavonoids 500 mg three times daily

Alpha-lipoic acid: High levels of activity of the enzyme aldose reductase have been associated with diabetic cataracts. Aldose reductase is inhibited by alpha-lipoic acid in rat lenses.

(Ou P, Nourooz-Zadeh, Tritschler HJ, Wolff SP. Free Radic Res 1996; 25: 337-346.)

Dietary supplementation of alpha-lipoic acid has been shown to prevent cataract formation caused by buthionine sulfoximine-induced (BSO) inhibition of glutathione synthesis in newborn rats.

(Maitra I, Serbinova E, Tritschler HJ, Packer L. Free Radic Biol Med 1995; 18: 823-829.)

The protective effects of alpha-lipoic acid against BSO-induced cataracts appear to be stereospecific. Both a racemic mixture and R-alpha-lipoic acid were able to decrease cataract formation, while S-alpha-lipoic acid had no effect. Maitra et al suggest alpha-lipoic acid's protective effect for BSO-induced cataract formation is probably due to its protective effects on lens antioxidants.

(Maitra I, Serbinova E, Tritschler HJ, Packer L. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1996; 221:422-429.)

L-cysteine

L-glutamine

L-glycine

quercetin 1 g three times daily

Selenium (Whanger, 1975) 200 mcg per day

Zinc picolinate 60 mg per day (Heinitz, 1978)

footnotes

Maitra I, Serbinova E, Tritschler HJ, Packer L. Alpha-lipoic acid prevents buthionine sulfoximine-induced cataract formation in newborn rats. Free Radic Biol Med 1995;18:823-829.

Maitra I, Serbinova E, Tritschler HJ, Packer L. Stereospecific effects of R-lipoic acid on buthionine sulfoximine-induced cataract formation in newborn rats. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1996;221:422-429.

Ou P, Nourooz-Zadeh J, Tritschler HJ, Wolff SP. Activation of aldose reductase in rat lens and metal-ion chelation by aldose reductase inhibitors and lipoic acid. Free Radic Res 1996;25:337-346.