Blindness Caused By A Junk Food Diet

The September 3, 2019 Annals of Internal Medicine published an article with the title "Blindness Caused by a Junk Food Diet". It has caught the attention also in recent news outlets. The case report from the University Hospitals in Bristol, United Kingdom described 14-year old boy who became legally blind from "nutritional optic neuropathy" because of his dietary choices and as a life-long "fussy eater" and preference for junk food.

His diet consisted primarily of fried processed meats, chocolate candy, Pringles potato chips, and French fries. He had almost no intake of fruits and vegetables and had a history of avoidant-restrictive food intake eating disorder starting as a toddler. Nutritional optic neuropathy is more commonly found in severe poverty conditions and third world countries.

Initial tests revealed that he had low vitamin B12 or macrocytic anemia not caused by an intestinal disorder or malabsorption and was treated with B12 injections. A severe lack of vitamin A and many other nutrients were also missing from this youth’s diet that impacted his eye health. As nutritional health declined, he experienced progressive, permanent damage to his eyes and vision centers in the brain and is now blind for the rest of his life. He also suffers now from hearing loss and bone loss at age 18.

This report highlights the need for a well-balanced diet for all ages; not a calorie-rich, nutrient-poor junk food diet. Kids who grow up on junk food diets or are fussy eaters are at risk for serious health concerns including the blindness, bone loss, hearing loss that happened to this youth.

If pickles on your burger are the only green thing in your diet, or you eat the same one or two vegetables every week, then you may be in for some trouble. Blindness caused by nutritional deficits does not happen overnight. It reflects a pattern of deficits for years.

Your eyes and vision health require a diet of richly-colored foods from all kinds of fruits and vegetables, along with quality fats and proteins. You need vitamin A, carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin D, omega-3 fish oils, zinc, copper, lipoic acid, carnosine, B vitamins, and more.

Here are some helpful articles pertaining to eye health.

Nearsightedness Related to Oxidative Stress and Low Dopamine in the Eye

Protect Your Eyes from Drug Side Effects

Statins Injure Eye Muscles 

B Vitamin Deficiency: Are You at Risk?