Cataracts

Earlier intervention, before cataracts become dense, offers better potential for reversal. Deeply pigmented fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants that reduce the oxidative stress driving cataract formation. Surgery is the primary conventional treatment for cataracts. The NAC-based intervention is not a guaranteed replacement for surgery but is a viable first approach given its favorable safety profile. A cataract is cloudiness or opacity of the eye lens caused by oxidative stress that outpaces the body's antioxidant defenses. Unlike most tissues, the lens cannot easily clear glycated proteins, so they accumulate into the cloudy deposits characteristic of cataracts. Cataracts develop through glycation: sugar causes lens proteins to cross-link and become sticky and non-functional. Cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration often develop simultaneously because they share the same upstream cause: chronic high blood sugar and sorbitol accumulation. Because the lens cannot easily repair or replace itself, oxidative damage compounds progressively over time. Zinc is a cofactor for antioxidant enzymes that protect the lens from cataract formation. N-acetyl carnosine eye drops appli…