Decreased meat and increased vegetable intake can reduce the risk of cataracts, says a study performed in Britain.

Researchers have found out through a wide dietary survey, which lasted for 15 years, that three had cataracts out of 50 meat eaters. Meanwhile, only 2 had cataracts out of 50 vegans, as well as vegetarians.

The result of the study showed that vegetarians and vegans have about 30 to 40 percent less risk to get cataract compared to those of meat eaters.

Epidemiologist Naomi Allen of University of Oxford in UK, co-author of the study, said that people who do not eat meat have remarkably lesser risk to develop cataracts.

A cataract develops when the crystalline lens of the eye is covered with a cloudy envelope. It obstructs eye sight and usually causes blurring of vision. The condition occurs more often in the older people. In the United States, more than fifty-percent of the Americans have cataracts by the age of 80 or they have had fixed it through surgery, the National Eye institute stated.

Findings of the British research does not say a person should completely become a vegetarian to avoid getting cataracts. However, a large consumption of vegetables may likely protect them from the eye condition.

The study does not confirm that intake of meat promotes cataract. A diet increased in fruits and vegetables may also be a sign of other healthy response that contribute to the reduced cataract risk. Diabetes, exposure to bright sunlight, as well as smoking are also related to an increased risk for cataracts.

The lifestyle and the foods people take can also influences the occurrence of cataracts. But up to this day, there is still no known cause for the increasing rate of cataracts.