Preventing Cataracts

Cataracts. Just the word signifies as much horror as wrinkles--although some wisdom holds that wrinkles are a sign of dignity. Not so with cataracts.

Just as you can take vitamins to keep your skin healthy and young looking, you can ingest minerals and vitamins to protect against cataracts. You can also quit smoking, wear UVA and UVB-blocking sunglasses, and get rid of diabetes, or never get it in the first place.

While you're doing the patch, buying the shades and losing weight, take 15 milligrams of zinc a day to prevent deterioriation of the retina and increase antioxidants.

PREVENTION magazine lays out this ideal anti-cataract formula:

* Beta-carotene: 25,000 IU (international units)
* Copper: 1 milligram for every 10 milligrams of zinc, but no more than 2 milligrams
* Zinc: 15 milligrams, can go to 50, but adjust your copper intake
* Selenium: A wonder antioxidant, 50-200 micrograms
* Vitamin C (rhymes with "see"): 500-3,000 milligrams
* Vitamin E: Standard 400 international units

Of course, all these antioxidants help your skin too. So now you need not fear covering up your eyes with thick glasses and your skin with that makeup that never looked good on you anyway. But you look great, and more importantly, you see clearly. Too clearly. That's a wrinkle, isn't it? Ah well, as long as you don't have cataracts...