Intakes of Antioxidant Nutrients and Carotenoids according to Lens Turbidity Level among Adults Visiting Cataract Clinic

Abstract

This study examined intakes of nutrients, carotenoids and polyphenols according to lens turbidity levels among adults visiting a cataract clinic. A total of 102 males and females aged 40 years or higher agreed to participate in the study, and a face-to-face survey interview was conducted to obtain information on general characteristics, health behaviors, and dietary intakes of each participant. The dietary data were collected by a food frequency questionnaire which was previously validated in a Korean population. In addition to essential nutrients, intakes of a total of 10 carotenoids and polyphenols were calculated based on the tables of food functional composition developed by National Academy of Agricultural Science. The subjects were divided into 3 groups according to turbidity levels (< 16, ≥ 16 and < 25, ≤ 25), and health behaviors and dietary intakes were compared among the turbidity groups. Data showed seemingly higher energy intake and lower dietary antioxidant (i.e., vitamin A, β-carotene, lutein, zeazanthin, lycopene, cryptozanthin) intakes in the highest turbidity group. However, no statistically significant findings were found in all the comparative analysis on characteristics of health behavior and intakes of nutrients, carotenoids and polyphenols. The current study findings should be cautiously interpreted in consideration of several limitations including a cross-sectional study design, a small sample size, uneven sample size distribution across turbidity groups, and limited generalizability due to using a convenience sample. Therefore we cannot conclude that the risk of cataract is unrelated with dietary antioxidant intakes based solely on the results of this study. (Korean J Community Nutr 17(2) : 205~214, 2012)