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Journal List > Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A > v.71(10); Oct 1974

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Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 October; 71(10): 4164–4168.
PMCID: PMC434350
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The Nutritional Teamwork Approach: Prevention and Regression of Cataracts in Rats
James D. Heffley and Roger J. Williams
1Department of Chemistry, Clayton Foundation Biochemical Institute, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712
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Abstract
We have taken advantage of a newly assimilated principle in nutrition: no nutrient by itself should be expected to prevent or cure any disease; nutrients as such always work cooperatively in metabolism as a team.
By feeding galactose-containing diets to young rats, cataracts are regularly produced. When, however, we furnished galactose-fed animals with what may be considered a well balanced, full team of nutrients, cataract prevention was accomplished. On four galactose-containing diets supplied with a full team of nutrients, not a single cataract developed in 24 rats (48 eyes). On four diets using the same dietary galactose challenge, accompanied with inadequate nutritional teams, 47 out of 48 eyes developed cataracts. Diets of intermediate quality induced the development of intermediate numbers of cataracts. Cataracts once formed were regressed slowly and incompletely by shifting the animals to a diet similar to that which had previously been found to protect against cataract formation.
The significance of these findings for nutritional research and for attacks on the problems of human cataracts and other ailments is discussed.
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Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
  • Williams RJ, Heffley JD, Yew ML, Bode CW. A renaissance of nutritional science is imminent. Perspect Biol Med. 1973 Autumn;17(1):1–15. [PubMed]
  • Van Heyningen R. Galactose cataract: a review. Exp Eye Res. 1971 May;11(3):415–428. [PubMed]
  • LERMAN S. METABOLIC PATHWAYS IN EXPERIMENTAL SUGAR AND RADIATION CATARACT. Physiol Rev. 1965 Jan;45:98–122. [PubMed]
  • Williams RJ, Heffley JD, Bode CW. The nutritive value of single foods. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1971 Oct;68(10):2361–2364. [PubMed]
  • KINOSHITA JH, MEROLA LO, DIKMAK E. Osmotic changes in experimental galactose cataracts. Exp Eye Res. 1962 Jun;1:405–410. [PubMed]
  • FOX MR, BRIGGS GM. Salt mixtures for purified-type diets. III. An improved salt mixtures for chicks. J Nutr. 1960 Oct;72:243–250. [PubMed]
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