Maryam Abshirini - Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Fereydoun Siassi - Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Fariba Koohdani - Department of Cellular, Molecular Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mostafa Qorbani - Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

Background and Aim: The aim of this study was investigate the association between dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC) and menopausal symptoms (MS) in postmenopausal women. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 400 postmenopausal women who referred to municipality health houses and health centers in south of Tehran, Iran. Data on general characteristics and anthropometry including body weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) were measured. Dietary intake and MS were measured using a 147-item validated food frequency questionnaire and Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) questionnaire, respectively. The USDA database was used to calculate the DTAC. Results: Multivariable linear regression analyses exhibited that DTAC was inversely associated with total MRS score, somatic and psychological symptoms, and adjustment for confounding variables such as age, education, WC, total physical activity, dietary intake of fiber, tea and coffee, total energy intake and dietary supplement use, did not changed this association (P <0.001). Moreover, in logistic regression, a negative association was observed between the MS and DTAC which was independent of confounding variables (P for trend = 0.002). In logistic regression, it was observed that higher DTAC was associated with reduction in hot flashes and sweating, sleeping problems, anxiety, exhaustion and difficulty concentrating. However, a significant positive relationship was observed between DTAC and sexual problemsConclusion: These finding imply that DTAC could be used as an important basis for developing effective dietary strategy for alleviating the MS.

Dietary total antioxidant capacity; Antioxidant; Menopausal symptoms; Hot flashes; Menopause