Although the connection between nutritional supplements and eye health has been discussed before, a study by physicians at Harvard Medical School and Brigham has concluded with promising results.

From 1997-2011, physicians followed more than 14,000 male doctors in the United States, all of whom were 50 years of age or older. Half of the participants took a daily multivitamin, and half took a placebo. The goal was to see how many of each group developed cataracts or age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

What they found was a 9% decrease in risk among those taking the daily multivitamin. And while 9% may not seem like a lot, there are more than 10 million American adults who suffer from reduced vision due to cataracts. This progress in researching preventative care is significant for overall public health.

See the original study from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.