Caffeine protects against cataract formation

Does caffeine enter the lens of the eye? If so, that would explain how drinking caffeine might offer protection against the development of cataracts.

The results of a study were shared at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting, which indicate that Caffeine may lessen the risk of developing cataracts. The study was conducted at the Vienna Institute for Research in Ocular Surgery.

Forty patients who were scheduled for bilateral cataract surgery abstained from caffeine for 1 week prior to surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to receive no caffeine, 60 mg, 120 mg or 180 mg of caffeine on the day of their second cataract surgery. The lens tissue from each eye was then sent for analysis of caffeine concentration.

Lab results showed that coffee intake prior to surgery resulted in higher caffeine levels in the lens. That means that the caffeine has now been proven to enter the lens of the eye and act directly on that tissue in preventing lens opacification, also known as cataract formation.

Previous studies have shown that caffeine is protective against the formation of cataracts. This may be due to its ability to protect against ultraviolet radiation, its antioxidant effect, or some other mechanism.