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Russian study finds commercial eye-health supplements ineffective
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Biologically active supplements that are sold in Russia with claims of improving eye health are largely ineffective, according to a report in Pravda.ru, a Russian online news source.
These supplements “produce a slight positive effect indeed, although commercial advertising misleads consumers, exaggerating the healing effect to the maximum,” said Sergei Avetisov, the director of the Eye Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Russian researchers conducted a study of commercially available eye-health supplements, particularly one that supposedly “assists in the resolution of cataract,” according to the Pravda report. They found that “medical methods can only slow down the development of cataract,” but cannot prevent or reverse the condition.
Dr. Avetisov noted that “virtually every Russian” experiences eye problems including refractive errors. “Each and every one of us suffers from eyesight problems at this or that period of life,” he said.
These conditions can be treated, Dr. Avetisov noted, and ophthalmologists should make the decision about how to correct the refractive error, whether through spectacles, contact lenses or eye surgery.