Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cataract in women

Abstract

Background: Prospective data on cataract in relation to total fruit and vegetable intake are limited.

Objective: We aimed to examine whether higher fruit and vegetable intake reduces the risk of cataract and cataract extraction in a large, prospective cohort of women.

Design: Fruit and vegetable intake was assessed at baseline in 1993 among 39 876 female health professionals with the use of a validated, semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. A total of 35 724 of these women were free of a diagnosis of cataract at baseline and were followed for incident cataract and cataract extraction. Cataract was defined as an incident, age-related lens opacity responsible for a reduction in best-corrected visual acuity to 20/30 or worse, based on self-report confirmed by medical record review. Individuals, rather than eyes, were the unit of analysis.

Results: During an average of 10 y of follow-up, 2067 cataracts and 1315 cataract extractions were confirmed. Compared with women in the lowest quintile of fruit and vegetable intake, women with higher intakes had modest 10-15% reduced risks of cataract (P for trend < 0.05). For cataract extraction, no significant inverse trend was observed (P for trend = 0.12).

Conclusion: These prospective data suggest that high intake of fruit and vegetables may have a modest protective effect on cataract.