Refined starches such as those found in breads and cereals could be contributing to the increase in shortsightedness observed among western children.
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According to a report in the New Scientist magazine, diets high in refined starches lead to increased insulin levels, which affects how the eyeball develops. The eyeball elongates, leading to shortsightedness as the lens fails to focus a sharp image on the retina.
A nutrition scientist at the University of Sydney, Jennie Brand Miller, said that modern processed breads and cereals increased the speed of starch digestion, in turn prompting the pancreas to pump out more insulin.
The suggestion is backed up by evidence of shortsightedness among populations gradually moving to a western diet. Inuit and Pacific islanders have seen myopia rates soar in recent years. This is partly attributed to an improvement in literacy. However, the incidence of myopia in the islands of Vanuatu, which has seem literacy improve but which has not adopted a western diet, remain low.
As the New Scientist reported, the theory ties in with observations that people are more vulnerable to myopia if they are overweight or have adult-onset diabetes – both conditions with increased insulin levels.
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By GlobalData
