ABSTRACT
Malnutrition and its consequences are a major global problem particularly in the developing parts of the world, where the diet is inadequate and insufficient for many reasons including climate, lack of education, primitive agricultural methods, poverty, lack of imported foods, and food taboos (52). Many studies sought to determine the amino acid and vitamin intake requirements for optimal vision and some of these were translated into practice with dramatic results (139). More recently, problems of excessive food intake have been associated with compromises to vision (26-28,89,109,110). Ironically, often problems of over nutrition occur in the same places where malnutrition exists. This review summarizes relations between nutrient insufficiencies, nutrient surfeit, and the function of major eye tissues. For additional information, readers are referred to texts which deal with these topics in greater detail (118,176).
