Health questions: does a high-sugar, high-carbohydrate diet lead to myopia?
It's a common belief that a diet high in carbohydrates and sugar in childhood makes short-sightedness more likely. What does the science say?
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It's a common belief that a diet high in carbohydrates and sugar in childhood favours the development of myopia or short-sightedness.
As one theory goes, an excess consumption of refined sugars - as seen in the modern diet - leads to higher levels of insulin in the body, and this, in turn causes the liver to produce IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), leading to higher blood IGF-1 levels. The IGF is thought reach the eyes, where it then stimulates the growth of the eyeball. Stretched or elongated eyeballs are what distinguish myopic people from people who do not suffer from the condition.
While suggestions from many small-scale studies have found an association between myopia and high starch and sugar consumption, it is not possible to say for sure that such diets are responsible for a person developing myopia.
"There simply haven't been any large-scale, double-blinded randomised control studies that support or revoke this association," says Dr Orlando Chan, a specialist in ophthalmology from Matilda International Hospital.