Fruit, vegetable and dietary antioxidants intake and age related cataract risk: A case-control study

Abstract AIM: The study was done to evaluate the relationship between dietary intake of some macronutrients, carotenoids, vitamins C, E, A, selenium and risk of cataract. METHODS: In this case-control study, dietary intake of 97 cataract patients and 198 controls was assessed using a valid semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Cataract was diagnosed using a slit-lamp examination and defined as any lens opacity in either eye. The associations between risk of cataract and quartiles of macro and micro nutrient intake were investigated using logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: After modifying the effects of confounding variables, the risk of cataract was significantly lower in the highest nutrient intake quartile category relative to the lowest quartile category for fruits ( OR= 0.15; 95% CI= 0.05-0.30) and vegetables ( OR= 0.20; 95% CI= 0.08-0.40). We found significant inverse associations of cataract with higher dietary intake of vitamin C (OR= 0.22; 95% CI= 0.09-0.54), alpha-caroten (OR=0.24; 95%CI=0.10-0.58), beta-caroten (OR=0.15; 95%CI=0.05-0.39), lutein/zeaxanthin (OR=0.19; 95%CI=0.08-0.45) and beta-cryptoxanthin (OR=0.05; 95% CI=0.01-0.15). CONCLUSION: High daily intakes of fruit and vegetables and some dietary antioxidants might be associated with a decrease of cataract risk in Tehran, Iran.