A diet rich in vitamin C could cut the risk that cataracts will progress by a third, suggests new research published in the journal Ophthalmology.

The study followed 151 identical and 173 non-identical female twins aged between 50 and 83 for nine and half years. The researchers discovered that genes accounted for 35 per cent of the risk of cataract progression, while ‘individual environmental factors’ such as diet accounted for 65 per cent of the risk. They identified seven micronutrients (potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, vitamins C and E, and folate) that may influence the severity of cataracts, while a high intake of one nutrient – vitamin C – appeared also to delay the onset of the sight problem.