Although many of us haven’t needed much encouragement to get out and support our local pub since lockdown restrictions have begun to ease in recent weeks, the fact that we might be slashing the risk of developing cataracts by almost a quarter in the process is just the icing on the cake!

Around a third of over 65s are affected by cataracts which occur when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy with age, causing blurred sight and poor night vision. The NHS performs 450,000 operations to remove them each year in England alone.

University College London experts analysed the health records of 490,000 people and, incredibly, found that low to moderate alcohol consumption was linked to a lower risk of needing cataract surgery.

The study shows that wine drinkers appear to benefit from the greatest protection, with five glasses a week cutting the chance of needing treatment by up to 23%. Other alcoholic beverages such as spirits and beer also reduced the likelihood of requiring surgery down the line by about 14%.

Red wine contains high levels of a powerful antioxidant called resveratrol which is thought to prevent inflammation and oxidative stress, which are both linked to the development of cataracts. Dr. Sharon Chua told the journal Ophthalmology, “Cataract development may be due to gradual damage from oxidative stress during ageing. The fact our findings were particularly evident in wine drinkers may suggest a protective role of polyphenol antioxidants, which are especially abundant in red wine.”

The study’s lead researcher, Dr. Anthony Khawaja, a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, said, “There was evidence for reducing chance of requiring future cataract surgery with progressively higher alcohol intake, but only up to moderate levels within current guidelines. This does support a direct role of alcohol in the development of cataract, but further studies are needed to investigate this.”

NHS guidelines recommend no more than 14 units of alcohol weekly, which equates to roughly six pints of beer or six standard 175ml glasses of wine.

This was an observational study conducted by reviewing existing data in the well-established UK Biobank and EPIC-Norfolk cohort studies, and does not definitively prove a direct causal effect. It is also important to note that drinking raises the risk of other conditions and health concerns, and that the content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have.

Note: The Serious Readers Light & Sight blog provides a carefully curated selection of the latest light and sight news. If you require further information on this topic, please visit the article sources linked below.

Sources:

1. UCL.
2. AOP.
3. The Guardian.