How a curry spice could help protect your sight

EYE drops containing an extract of turmeric may treat glaucoma, according to research in the journal Scientific Reports.

The condition is caused by a build-up of fluid in the eye, which puts pressure on the optic nerve, damaging sight.

Tests on rats given the drops twice daily for three weeks found they reduced the loss of retinal cells, a sign of the disease.

Scientists at Imperial College London and University College London say a chemical in turmeric protects the mitochondria — the ‘battery’ — in the retinal cells, and reduces inflammation and the death of nerve cells.