Limes and Eyesight

[Shinobi Teikiatsu]

"Lime is also used occasionally to enhance vision by many Asian martial artists. It is done by squeezing a drop or two on the inside corner of the eye. An initial stinging sensation is felt but subsides, this should not be done on a daily/routine basis."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lime_(fruit)

So who else is (going to) try(ing) this wonderful vision enhancing product?!

 

[yak sao]

You go first and tell me how it goes

BTW, they're great in Coronas too

 

[girlbug2]

I'd like to know if there's any scientific evidence to back this theory? How can citric acid on sensitive outer membranes improve the internal workings of rods and cones?

 

[Stac3y]

Holy OUCH! I've actually seen Steve-O from Jack*ss squeeze limes into his eyes on TV. His is not an example I would generally follow.

 

[Shinobi Teikiatsu]

I don't think anyone's pretending that wikipedia is actually telling the truth, I was just looking around on it for food that I was eating and saw something about the martial arts that I thought we might enjoy laughing at.

 

[Grenadier]

OK... I'm going to give you my opinion as a research chemist, and not as a martial artist here.

There's no practical benefit to putting lime juice in your eyes. At the very most, there's a very small chance that the acidity might be able to kill off some microbes in that area that are sensitive to exposure to lower pH values, but that won't do anything at all to hit the bacteria that's underneath. That, plus your eyes already do a good enough job of washing away microbes with its natural tear system.

Regardless of the possible above benefits, it's not worth the potential damage that can occur to one's cornea. The citric acid in the limes can wash away the layer of moisture on your cornea, and also lead to corneal ulcers, which are very unpleasant.

Just don't do it.

 

[Grenadier]

"Lime is also used occasionally to enhance vision by many Asian martial artists.

Oh, and by the way, I am an Asian martial artist.

 

[Xue Sheng]

OK... I'm going to give you my opinion as a research chemist, and not as a martial artist here.

There's no practical benefit to putting lime juice in your eyes. At the very most, there's a very small chance that the acidity might be able to kill off some microbes in that area that are sensitive to exposure to lower pH values, but that won't do anything at all to hit the bacteria that's underneath. That, plus your eyes already do a good enough job of washing away microbes with its natural tear system.

Regardless of the possible above benefits, it's not worth the potential damage that can occur to one's cornea. The citric acid in the limes can wash away the layer of moisture on your cornea, and also lead to corneal ulcers, which are very unpleasant.

Just don't do it.

From here

The eye has a very delicate layer called the cornea. Once the cells of the cornea get damaged or any loss of cells cannot be retrieved like how your skin cells would grow back. Hence, one has to be extremely careful of what happens on the surface of the eyes.

The tear film coats the cornea as a lubrication and also a protective film.
It is best not to squirt any lime on the eyes as it will lead to loss of this tear film, introduce allergies and may even cause acidic ulcers on the cornea.

If done to achieve a 'high', it would be best to find an alternative method as we have but two eyes and all our functional life depends on them.
Wash your eyes with water if any foreign body enters it and this would be the same for your case with lime juice if this were to happen again inadvertently!

Hope this helps,
Regards,
Dr Anand Shroff, MS (OPHTH), FICS
www.shroffeye.org

As for me, I do believe I will go with Grenadier and Dr Shroff on this and I think I will go with NOT putting lime juice in my eyes

 

[Marginal]

O just troed ot,. ajmot wprled freat/ <y vosopm os mpw ejamced!

 

[qwksilver61]

so long as you chase it with beer...