Do variations in normal nutrition play a role in the development of myopia?

Background. A number of papers have reported an association between diet and myopia; however, these studies have generally considered the diet of children already myopic. This study compared the nutritional intake and some simple body measurements for a group of children who subsequently became myopic with that of a group who did not become myopic. Methods. The nutritional data for 24 subjects who developed myopia between the ages of 7 and 10 years were compared with data for 68 subjects who were still not myopic at the age of 10 years. Results. Children who developed myopia had a generally lower intake of many of the food components than children who did not become myopic. The differences were statistically significant for energy intake, protein, fat, vitamins B1, B2 and C, phosphorus, iron, and cholesterol. Despite these differences, children who became myopic were neither shorter nor lighter, at the age of 7 years, than children who did not become myopic. Conclusions. There is no evidence that the incident myopes were in any way undernourished and it therefore seems that their energy requirements were less than those of the control subjects.