There has been this insinuations that garri can lead to poor vision in the following ways:
1. Consuming hot garri (eba) with alongside soup
2. Soaking garri without drainaing water to remove chaff. My main argument here is when we prepare garri with hot water, this ritual is not observed.
3. White garri - the ones fried without palm oil.

Is there any relationship between garri and deterioration of vision in any way
Pls let's try and contribute, since garri is a staple food that is regularly eaten over here.
Tnx

Yes.

Let me quote/copy'n'paste an article

"GARRI AND BLINDNESS

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Written by Dr.Ben Ajayi
Thursday, 17 November 2011


Barka de Salah” echoed everyone around as I came out of the car. I was specially clad to capture the mood of the season and celebrate Salah with my friend, Yisa, who always made sure he visited me during the Christmas festive period. “Barka de Salah,” I replied, adding, “I pray that PHCN will continue to improve and serve us better in the coming weeks.” Little did I realise that I was opening a can of worms! As many people as had heard my remark had uncomplimentary words for PHCN. “We haven’t had regular electricity in our area for months.

There is light around us because Alhaji Yisa has been kind to connect our security lights to his solar system but we don’t have light in our homes,” they said. Yisa, I was told had gone out and left word that I should wait for him thus providing a good opportunity to chat with his neighbours.

Then one old lady lamented, “Do you know that my grandchildren and I have lived on garri in the last few days because the entire foodstuff I had stored in my freezer went bad owing to lack of electricity in our area for 10 days?” She burst into tears.

The direction of the discussion changed. All eyes were now focused on me. “Hasn’t it been said that garri is not good for the eyes; that it can cause blindness?” asked Mrs Adeola. “My son has itching eyes and has been told not to drink Garri again but he must have persisted secretly even though he denied it because the itching had continued unabated. Now his eyes are discoloured,” said Mrs Deloye sorrowfully.

“Mrs Adeola, there is nothing wrong with well processed garri. Fresh cassava plant contains potentially toxic levels of a cyanide precursor (cyanogen) called linamarin. The cyanogen converts to very toxic cyanide when cassava is eaten raw or it is not well processed when making garri. The proper processing of cassava for garri involves the following steps: removing the peel, grating and pressing (or squeezing) to remove the water content and finally, baking or frying. These processes effectively reduce cassava’s linamarin content and make garri safe. But when short cut processing techniques are used, toxic garri or other products with high content of cyanogens is produced.”

“The cyanide derivative is similar in structure to Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) and competes with it trying to replace it thereby poisoning the tissues. People who get little or no protein in their diets are particularly susceptible to cyanide poisoning, as they lack the proper amino acids necessary to help remove the poison from the tissues. This leads to chronic cyanide poisoning which has been associated with the development of the neck swelling called goitre and with tropical ataxic neuropathy, a nerve-damaging disorder that renders a person unsteady and uncoordinated when walking.”

“The nerve at the back of the eye which conducts light sensation from the eye to the brain, which we call the Optic Nerve, is also damaged and blindness may result. Women and children are more susceptible to cyanide poisoning because quite often they eat the least, in quantity and quality, of foods containing proteins and vitamins required to meet the vast needs of pregnancy, lactation and growth.

“Women are also usually charged with processing the cassava plant, which leaves them susceptible to inhaling cyanide gas. Cyanide can poison a person by either inhalation or ingestion.

“You see now that I was right about the danger of garri” said Mrs Adeola in self-adulation. “Yes and no” I replied. “Garri and other cassava products, which are well processed and eaten with adequate amounts of proteins and vitamins, constitute no health hazard to the patron. The emphasis should therefore be on eating a balanced diet rich in proteins, vegetables, vitamins and fruits. No-one except in famine or extreme poverty would eat garri alone without soup, meat or fish. With these we need not worry about chronic cyanide toxicity.”

I looked at my time. It was 7:30pm. “I can’t wait for Yisa again,” I told myself. Afraid of the night. I left a message for him, bid everyone goodnight and dashed into my car before more questions delayed me further.'

Hope this helps

How can Students Saviour cause blindness?? Been drinking and smoking this shi far way back!!

Very informative n educative. I mean, some misconceptions could hold people really tight.
Do you know the number of even medical workers that insinuate that garri blinds the eyes, I wish MOD pushes this post to frontpage to educate the public

Brimmie: How can my Saviour cause blindness?? Been drinking and smoking this shi far way back!!

garri is now your saviour abi ??
('_' ) ('_') ( '_') - Smh.
@Op. I use to hear of it since I was a kid...

I take it few times in school, my eyes are very sharp too.

If so 80% of Ijebus must have gone blind