Research Says You Could Preserve Your Eyesight with a Hot Cup of Tea

Tea lovers rejoice, a new study shows that drinking tea can strengthen your eyesight and ward off vision-related diseases in old age.

Tea: A Miracle Drink to Preserve Vision

Tea is one of the most versatile beverages that can be found in just about any flavor you can think of and consumed in any season in hot or iced form. But the benefits of this popular drink go beyond enjoyment. Previous studies have shown several health benefits of drinking tea, and a new research is now suggesting that the beverage may even preserve your vision in old age. The study led by researcher Dr. Anne Coleman, ophthalmology professor in University of California, found out that adults who drank hot tea in the afternoon had 74 per cent less chance of developing glaucoma in comparison with those who didn’t drink tea at all.

A recent study suggests that tea may preserve our vision in old age

The study used data from 1,700 participants who had undergone an eye exam and filled out a survey about their diet and lifestyle. Researchers found that only 5 per cent of the sample population had glaucoma, and those who said that they drank hot tea at least six times per week, were less likely to develop the eye disease. Several other factors such as participants’ smoking status, weight, age and blood circulatory diseases also affected their risk of developing glaucoma. But is it really tea that is responsible for preventing the eye disease? Experts think that the benefits could be due to something else.

Only Hot, Decaffeinated Tea Helps

Coleman says that the participants of the research who drank iced or decaffeinated tea did not benefit from the lowered glaucoma risk. It was only those people who consumed hot, caffeinated tea who were able to ward off the risk. But if hot, caffeinated beverages were the answer to improved eyesight and better disease prevention, then wouldn’t coffee help too? Surprisingly, it was only tea drinkers who showed a lower risk of glaucoma but researchers don’t have an explanation for this strange phenomenon. The study does leave room for further investigation to discover exactly why it is that some teas are more beneficial for eyesight than others.

So what is so special about hot tea drinkers that gives them better eyesight after all? The researchers are trying to gain more insight into their lifestyles and see what they do differently which gives them an advantage over other. Do they have a healthier diet? Do they exercise more? Or is it merely a coincidence that tea drinkers are genetically predisposed to having better eyesight? The scientific mystery is yet to be solved.

Researchers are still trying to gain more insight into tea-drinkers’ lifestyles and see what they do differently that gives them an advantage over the others. 

Glaucoma Risk and How to Avoid it

According to American Academy of Ophthalmology, Glaucoma, consisting of a group of vision-related diseases, is one of the biggest causes of blindness in old people. This condition causes fluid build-up in the eyes which slowly deteriorates the optic nerve and eventually leads to a loss of vision. A person’s Glaucoma risk can depend on a number of factors, with the most important being genetics. People are more likely to suffer from this disease if the high risk runs in the family.

People with high blood pressure or diabetes should take extra precautions to prevent optic nerve damage since they are at a higher risk of developing glaucoma

Other groups susceptible to Glaucoma are people who have abnormal blood circulation and suffer from health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. Coffee consumption can also affect your Glaucoma risk. AAO says that people who drink more coffee are more likely to suffer from the disease in old age due to speculation that caffeine increase blood pressure and hence causes fluid build-up in the eye. However, no studies have been able to show an evident link between coffee consumption and glaucoma.

There are several reasons to believe that drinking tea is beneficial for our health. The beverage has been linked to reducing inflammation due to its herbal properties and Coleman believes that drinking tea may help in normalizing blood pressure which could theoretically reduce glaucoma risk. She also advises people above the age of 40 to get their eyes tested to any vision-related disease in its early stages could be diagnosed and treated in time.