We love the kebabs, lamb curry, salt and pepper pork, roast chicken and more; right ?! Ask any meat lover, a juicy piece of meat defines a zest for them. But did you know, it can affect your vision?! That’s right. In the past, experts have talked a lot about how red meat affects our heart health, blood pressure and weight. Many people have written about it. Now, a new Flinders University study shows that our eye health can also be affected.
According to the study, a parasite called toxoplasma gondii, which is closely related to animals, is behind “retinal scarring”. “Many animal species around the world are infected with the parasite, which is generally spread in soiled environments by infected cats or by eating other infected animals. For humans, while domestic cat feces are may be a carrier, the most common route of infection is consumption of research that further explains raw or undercooked meat derived from infected cattle.
For the study, Professor Justine Smith, Professor of Strategy in Eye & Vision Health at Flinders University and her team analyzed retinal photographs of more than 5000 people living in Australia. Three specialized ophthalmologists, including Professor Smith, evaluated the scans and found positive cases confirmed by antibody blood tests.
“Out of 5000 people, we found eight participants with confirmed blood toxoplasma retinal scars. Plus, about three-quarters of the retinal lesions would be in an invisible spot in these days. With this particular picture, we can estimate the odds of researchers saying ocular toxoplasmosis is 1 in 149 people.
Reviewing the study, Professor Smith and her team concluded that it is best to avoid eating raw or undercooked meat to reduce the risk of this disease. In addition, parasites can also be killed by freezing meat before cooking.
About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call himself. Whether it’s about food, people or places, all she craves is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio or daal-chawal and a good movie can set her off to a new day.
