January 11, 2010 
Heavy eye make-up like that worn by ancient Egyptians could protect eyes against disease, according to French researchers…
Published in Analytical Chemistry, the study suggests that the benefits occur due to lead salts found in make-up, reported BBC News (January 8).
Low levels of salt produce nitric oxide which boosts the immune system and fights off bacteria which causes eye infections, researchers have reported.
Scientists from the Louvre Museum and the CNRS research institute used an electrode which was one tenth the thickness of a human hair to look at the effect lead chloride salt synthesised by Egyptians had on a single cell.
Lead researcher Philippe Walter said: “We knew ancient Greeks and Romans too had noted the make-up had medicinal properties, but wanted to determine exactly how.”
In the journal’s report on the study, researchers wrote: “In stimulating non-specific immunological defences, one may argue that these lead compounds were deliberately manufactured and used in ancient Egyptian formulations to prevent and treat eye illnesses by promoting the action of immune cells.”
Taken from: www.optometry.co.uk