ALA >>> Cataracts ????

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Hi folks:

Another problematic aspect of alpha-linolenic acid, apparently:

" Dietary linolenic acid intake is positively associated with five-

year change in eye lens nuclear density. "

Lu M, A, Chylack LT Jr, G, Hankinson SE, Willett WC,

Jacques PF.

Nutritional Epidemiology Program, Mayer USDA Human Nutrition

Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.

" OBJECTIVE: Dietary fat may affect lens cell membrane composition and

function, which are related to age-related cataract. The present

study was designed to examine the associations between dietary fat

and the change in nuclear lens opacification over five years.

METHODS: Women aged 52 to 73 years without previously diagnosed

cancer, diabetes and cataracts from the Boston, Massachusetts area

were selected from the Nurses' Health Study cohort. Four hundred

forty women participated in a baseline (1993-95) and a follow-up

(1998-2000) eye examination. Intakes of total fat and selected fatty

acids were calculated as the average intake from five food frequency

questionnaires that were collected between 1980 and baseline. Change

in the degree of nuclear density (opacification) was characterized by

the difference between baseline and follow-up in pixel density at the

central clear zone in the Scheimpflug slit image of the lens.

RESULTS: Intake of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) was positively

associated with change in nuclear density. The geometric mean nuclear

density change was 16% greater in the highest quartile category of

ALA intake than in the lowest quartile category (P for trend = 0.05).

For women in the high tertile category of baseline nuclear lens

opacification, the geometric mean change in the highest quartile

category of ALA acid intake was 70% higher than the change in the

lowest quartile category (P for trend = 0.01). There were no

significant associations between other dietary fats and change in

nuclear density. CONCLUSION: Higher ALA intake was associated with a

greater age-related change in lens nuclear density. "

PMID: 17536124