More than three cups of coffee a day can cause blindness

 Like many across the US and the world Invigilator needs a strong cup of coffee to get going in the morning, another mid-morning, lunch, after dinner and sometimes more. He might now have to rethink as new research from Boston`s Brigham and Women`s Hospital suggests that drinking more than three cups of coffee a day increases the risk of blindness through the eye disease glaucoma.

This is tough news as the research indicates that even moderate amounts over the three cup line appear to make glaucoma more likely. The study is published in the scientific journal, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.

The scientists suggest that coffee lovers should cut down their intake to reduce their chances of developing the condition which leads to blindness.

America`s obsession coffee and the coffee house could in fact lead to an increasingly blind population unless consumption is quelled. The research does not indicate that it`s the caffeine in the coffee that leads to the increased risk as other beverages containing caffeine do not produce the same negative effects.

Tea, coke, chocolate and energy drinks all appear to be safe when it comes to glaucoma risk. This means that those that need that caffeine lift could still get it by say replacing any cups of coffee over the safe limit of three cups with say a cup of tea. The researchers believe compounds found in coffee may increase pressure within the eyeball, causing a vision-destroying condition known as exfoliation glaucoma. This is caused material rubbed from the iris and lens clogging up the fluid draining system of the eyeball.

The biggest drinkers of coffee in the world are, surprisingly perhaps, not Americans but Scandinavians and they also have the highest occurrence of exfoliation glaucoma.
It seems it`s a bit `swings and roundabouts` with coffee as other past research has indicated that drinking coffee reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.