The association between food diversity and serum antioxidant indices in cataract patients compared to healthy subjects

BACKGROUND: Cataract is a chronic disorder that is related to antioxidant–oxidant imbalance situation. We aimed to investigate the association between food diversity and serum antioxidant and oxidant indices in cataract patients compared to healthy subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case–control study, ninety volunteers (aged > 50 years) were divided into the cataract (n = 45) and healthy control (n = 45) groups. Anthropometric variables, physical activity and stress levels, food diversity score, serum total oxidant capacity (TOC), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) measurements were done for all participants. RESULTS: Serum TAC, even after adjustment for stress level, was significantly higher in healthy people compared to cataract patients (P < 0.001). In addition, serum TOC was significantly lower in healthy controls compared to cataract patients (P < 0.002). In healthy group, there was a weak significant positive association between serum TAC and meats group diversity (r = 0.149, P = 0.047). In addition, there was a moderate negative association between meats group diversity and TOC in the healthy controls (r = −0.712, P = 0.041). In the cataract group, there was a significant negative association between serum TOC and diversity score of fruits (r = −0.811, P = 0.017) and meats group (r = −0.926, P = 0.046) as well as total score of food diversity (r = −0.466, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: It seems that increase in total dietary diversity and food groups' diversity can have a beneficial effect on oxidant situation among cataract patients.