Is This Breakfast Beverage Causing Glaucoma!?

By Dr. Scott Olson, ND Posted October 1, 2021

Dear Living Well Daily Reader,

I don’t need to tell you how important your eyesight is.

Your eyes aren’t just for gazing at sunsets or reading your favorite mystery novel.  Without good eyesight, your quality-of-life plummets.

Think about it: no more driving, seeing your kids or grandkids, and even finding your way around your home becomes difficult.

Whether it’s macular degeneration or glaucoma, the sad truth is that seniors who lose their eyesight have a HUGE drop in quality of life… and even live shorter lives, period.

And now researchers have discovered that this breakfast beverage could be linked to glaucoma.

But there’s much more to the story…

*****

It’s hard to imagine starting your day without a piping hot cup of coffee… but now you may want to rethink this routine.

If you’re already genetically predisposed to glaucoma, too much caffeine could triple your risk.

You see, glaucoma is caused by increased pressure behind the eye, which damages the optic nerve.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States – around 3 million people have the disease. Even with standard treatment, about 10 percent of people with glaucoma lose their eyesight.

Because the changes to eyesight happen so slowly, most people with glaucoma don’t notice it until it is too late.

All of that makes this latest study, published in the journal Ophthalmology, worrisome.

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that people with a strong family history of glaucoma were especially sensitive to caffeine intake.

The study team found that caffeine intake increased intraocular pressure (IOP) – pressure inside the eye – in certain people.

How bad is the risk?

For people with a strong family history and a high coffee intake of more than four cups a day, the risk was 3.9 times – nothing to sneeze at.

If you know people in your family who’ve been diagnosed with glaucoma, keep your coffee intake low or switch to decaf.

And in the meantime, consider adding some vision-boosting supplements like lutein and zeaxanthin to your daily routine.

Dr. Scott Olson, ND

P.S. There are many threats to your eyesight as you age, and one of the worst is age-related macular degeneration. Click here to find out how to protect yourself against it.

Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND

Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.

View More By Dr. Scott Olson, ND