Those working in dietitian jobs will be encouraging more women to follow a healthier diet, after research found it could cut their chance of developing cataracts.

More than half of the people in the UK who are over the age of 65, are believed to have some cataract development in one or both of their eyes.

According to the story in Nursing Times, eating less fatty foods and omitting salt from their diet will help to protect women from the disease, which is the leading cause of blindness.

Researchers studied the diets of 2,000 women aged between 50 and 79. Each of the women, who all lived in Iowa, Wisconsin and Oregon in the USA, were given a healthy eating index score.

Those with higher scores consumed less fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and salt derived sodium than the guideline levels. The researchers found that these women ate vegetables, fruits, grains, milk and meat rich in protein at either the recommended or higher level.

The women with the top 20 per cent of healthy eating scores were found to have 37 per cent less chance of developing cataracts, than those whose scores were in the last fifth of the table.

Although diet is the biggest factor to influence the development of cataracts, smoking and obesity were also linked to the disease. High blood pressure, short-sightedness and having brown eyes were also found to have some affect.

The research was led by Dr Julie Mares from the University of Wisconsin. She said "Lifestyle improvements that include healthy diets, smoking cessation and avoiding obesity may substantively lower the need for and economic burden of cataract surgery."

Cataracts are an age related condition and result in the person's vision being blurred, because of a cloudy patch which appears in the lens of the eye.