Preliminary research suggests that green tea could help shield your eyes from the harmful effects of glaucoma. In a study on rats, researchers determined that green tea consumption helped defend the animals' eyes from free-radical-induced damage.
A leading cause of blindness in the U.S., glaucoma develops when fluid pressure builds up in the eyes and impairs the optic nerve. Past research shows that oxidative stress (a process that occurs when free radicals overwhelm the body's ability to neutralize them) may contribute to the onset of glaucoma. Known to knock out free radials, antioxidants are abundant in green tea.
In their new study, scientists demonstrated that drinking green tea can help deliver antioxidants to eye tissues and possibly protect against oxidative stress. However, it's too soon to tell whether green tea consumption could have the same effect on human eye health.
In previously published studies, investigators have found that the herb ginkgo biloba may also benefit people with glaucoma.
