Of Coffees and Eyes

New research shows that drinking coffee can protect people from developing spasms in their eyelids, a condition known as blepharospasm.

Scientists at the University of Bari in Italy have been studying the link between drinking one or two cups of coffee a day and the frequency of eyelid twitches in sufferers of the condition, which in extreme cases can cause blindness.

They found that coffee reduced the risk of the condition and had a protective effect against involuntary and sustained muscle contractions in the eye.

"Sometimes the condition is so bad that the patients spend most of the time with their eyes closed - they are effectively then visually impaired," said Professor Giovanni Defazio, who led the study.

"Our findings strongly suggest coffee as a protective factor. The most obvious candidate for the protective effect is caffeine," he added.

Blepharospasm typically affects those aged between 50 and 70 and develops slowly, beginning with symptoms such as eye discomfort and increased blinking.


Courtesy: allaboutyou.com