This study examined meal patterns and protein-rich food utilization in the foodservice practices of public and private geriatric long-term care hospitals in South Korea. Over a period of 6 months, a total of 612 daily menus (306 from each hospital type, breakfast, lunch, and dinner) were collected from four hospitals (two public, two private). Each menu was categorized by meal composition, included staple food, soup, main dish, side dishes, and kimchi. The most common meal pattern consisted of a staple food, soup, main dish, two side dishes, and kimchi. Compared with private hospitals, public hospitals offered a greater variety in meal composition, staple foods, soups, and main dishes. However, no significant differences were observed in protein foods of main dishes. Overall, meat accounted for about half, whereas fish accounted for one-third. Approximately 30% of protein foods in main dishes were processed. In side dish 1, the proportion of protein-rich foods was lower in public than in private hospitals, whereas the proportion of processed foods exceeded two-thirds in both hospital, but was significantly higher in public hospitals. Soup was the second most important protein source after the main dish, with fish as the most often used; however, processed protein foods were also common. These findings indicate that the main dish and soup are the principal protein sources, and the relatively high inclusion of fish reflects a favorable pattern. However, to ensure intake of high-quality proteins by older adults, the high reliance on processed protein foods highlights the need to reconsider foodservice practices.
Dietary supplements are popular worldwide and their use has been increasing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mineral contents of multi-vitamins and minerals (MVMs) in most commonly sold among dietary supplements. Ninety popular MVM supplements sold in South Korea were surveyed regarding their characteristics and ingredients including minerals listed on the labels through off-line and on-line search. Daily mineral contents of the MVM supplements were compared with Korean Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) by target populations. The average price of 90 MVM supplements was $41.3 per bottle, with a price of $0.9 per day and the average number of minerals contained per supplement was 4.7. A total 14 minerals were found in the MVM supplements including calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Nine minerals (e.g. calcium, magnesium, and iron) were included in more than 30% of the MVM supplements examined. When daily mineral dose of MVMs was compared to DRIs, calcium was the lowest (34.0% of recommended intake [RI]) and chromium was the highest (218.7% of adequate intake [AI]), and zinc, copper, selenium, and chromium were also higher than their RI or AI levels. The daily mineral contents of the 90 MVM supplements were below the tolerable upper-intake level, but some minerals were higher than RI or AI with high variance among products. Therefore, there is a great need to educate the public for the adequate selection and use of MVM supplements based on the contents of MVM supplements and individual's mineral intake derived from the diet.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum tumor markers and dietary intakes in healthy adults to address a nutrition guide for cancer prevention. We analyzed tumor-related markers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) in serum and daily food and nutrient intakes using a 24-hour recall method in 23 healthy men and 32 healthy women. The average age was 50.7 years for men and 48.9 years for women. There were no significant differences in biochemical tumor markers and food intake between the men and women except energy intake. A significantly positive correlation was found between serum AFP, a biochemical marker of liver cancer, and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and/or glutamic pyruvate transaminase (GPT) in both men and women. CEA had a significant and negative correlation with energy intake for men and food intake in women. PSA, a biomarker of prostate cancer, was significantly and positively correlated with the intake of animal iron and cholesterol in men. CA125, a biomarker of gynecologic cancers, was significantly and positively correlated with meat intake in women. As this study revealed the significant relationship between biochemical tumor markers and dietary factors, further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanism of this relationship.
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This study examined the effect of convenience meals purchased at convenience stores on glycemic response and satiety in healthy college students. A total of 9 non-obese volunteers (4 males and 5 females) aged 20 to 24 years participated in this study. On 3 separate days, participants consumed a standard diet (cooked rice and side dishes), type 1 convenience meal (kimbap and instant ramen), and type 2 convenience meal (sweet bread and flavored milk). Capillary blood-glucose response and satiety were measured every 30 minutes for 2 hours after consuming the 3 different test meals. Although mean fasting glucose levels were not different, glucose levels at 30 minutes and 120 minutes after the type 1 convenience meal intake were significantly higher than those in the standard meal (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). Total glucose response was higher after consumption of the type 1 convenience meal, followed by the type 2 convenience meal and standard meal (p < 0.05). Though the type 2 convenience meal contained higher calorie than the other meals, satiety of the type 2 convenience meal was lowest at 30 minutes and 60 minutes after consumption (p < 0.01, p < 0.05). This pilot study suggests that convenience meals may increase glycemic response or induce higher calorie intake with low satiety compared with nutritionally balanced Korean style meal.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between coffee consumption and bone status (bone mineral density and bone metabolism-related markers) according to calcium intake level in Korean young adult males. Healthy and nonsmoking males (19-26 years, n = 330) participated in this study. Anthropometric measurements, dietary habits, and nutrient intakes were surveyed. Bone status of the calcaneus was measured by using quantitative ultrasound (QUS). Bone metabolism-related markers including serum total alkaline phosphatase activity (TALP), N-mid osteocalcin (OC), and type 1 collagen C-terminal telopeptide (1CTP) were analyzed. The subjects were divided into two groups based on daily calcium intake level: a calcium-sufficient group (calcium intake ≥ 75% RI, n = 171) and a calcium-deficient group (calcium intake < 75% RI, n = 159). Each group was then further divided into three subgroups based on daily average coffee consumption: no-coffee, less than one serving of coffee per day, and one or more servings of coffee per day. There were no significant differences in height, body weight, body mass index, energy intake, or calcium intake among the three coffee consumption subgroups. QUS parameters and serum 1CTP, TALP, and OC were not significantly different among either the two calcium-intake groups or the three coffee consumption subgroups. Our results may show that current coffee consumption level in Korean young men is not significantly associated with their bone status and metabolism according to the calcium intake level.
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The present study was conducted to compare serum leptin and insulin resistance levels between Korean postmenopausal long-term semi-vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Subjects of this study belonged to either a group of postmenopausal vegetarian women (n = 54), who maintained a semi-vegetarian diet for over 20 years or a group of non-vegetarian controls. Anthropometric characteristics, serum leptin, serum glucose, serum insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance), and nutrient intake were compared between the two groups. The vegetarians showed significantly lower body weight (p < 0.01), body mass index (p < 0.001), percentage (%) of body fat (p < 0.001), and serum levels of leptin (p < 0.05), glucose (p < 0.001), and insulin (p < 0.01), than the non-vegetarians. The HOMA-IR of the vegetarians was significantly lower than that of the non-vegetarians (p < 0.01) after adjustment for the % of body fat. A long-term vegetarian diet might be related to lower insulin resistance independent of the % of body fat in postmenopausal women.
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Chronic gastritis is a prevalent gastroentestinal disease in Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate status of foods and nutrients intake and health related biochemical indicators in the patients with chronic gastritis. Daily food and nutrient intake, blood lipids, and antioxidant indicators in the urine, were compared between a group of 19 patients diagnosed with chronic gastritis and a control group of 27 subjects having normal gastroscopy. No significant differences were found in age, height, weight, body mass index, and blood pressure between the two groups. Daily energy intakes were 1900.6 kcal for the chronic gastritis patient group, and 1931.8 kcal for the normal control group without significant difference. No significant difference was found between the two groups in all nutrient intakes except for cholesterol. The chronic gastritis patients consumed lower amount of sugars and sweeteners but greater amount of starchy food groups such as potatoes and legumes than subjects of control group consumed. Also the chronic gastritis patients showed higher serum triglyceride concentration than the normal subjects. These results indicate that the dietary pattern of chronic gastritis patients may have relation to a change in the serum lipid level; however, more systematic research with a larger samples size is required.
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The purpose of this study is to estimate Korean collegians' knowledge of energy content in the standard portion size of foods frequently consumed in Korea and to investigate the differences in knowledge between gender groups. A total of 600 collegians participated in this study. Participants' knowledge was assessed based on their estimation on the energy content of 30 selected food items with their actual-size photo images. Standard portion size of food was based on 2010 Korean Dietary Reference Intakes, and the percentage of participants who accurately estimated (that is, within 20% of the true value) the energy content of the standard portion size was calculated for each food item. The food for which the most participants provided the accurate estimation was ramyun (instant noodles) (67.7%), followed by cooked rice (57.8%). The proportion of students who overestimated the energy content was highest for vegetables (68.8%) and beverages (68.1%). The proportion of students who underestimated the energy content was highest for grains and starches (42.0%) and fruits (37.1%). Female students were more likely to check energy content of foods that they consumed than male students. From these results, it was concluded that the knowledge on food energy content was poor among collegians, with some gender difference. Therefore, in the future, nutrition education programs should give greater attention to improving knowledge on calorie content and to helping them apply this knowledge in order to develop effective dietary plans.
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Several studies have reported that heavy metals have a relation with osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures. In this study, we investigated the association between heavy metal exposure status, as assessed by serum major heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg) and bone mineral density (BMD) status among Korean adults. A total of 64 adults participated in this study and were assigned to one of three study groups based on the T-score of spine BMD: a normal group (n = 21, T-score > -1), osteopenia group (n = 29, -2.5 < T-score ≤ -1) and osteoporosis group (n = 14, T-score ≤ -2.5). We also assessed serum levels of heavy metals (Pb, Cd and Hg) by using atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) and daily nutrient and food intakes for 3 days by using 24-hr recall method in the subjects. The mean age was significantly higher in the osteoporosis group compared with the osteopenia and normal groups (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in serum levels of Pb, Cd and Hg among the three groups after adjusting for age. Daily intakes of energy, nutrients were not significantly different among the three groups. The osteoporosis group consumed significantly higher fish and shellfish than the other groups (p < 0.05). In the correlation analysis controlling for age, sex, BMI, and BMD status, the serum Cd level was significantly negatively correlated with intake of cereals, milks and total food. In summary, we did not find a direct association between serum heavy metal levels and BMD status. However, negative relationships were found between serum heavy metal levels and intake of some foods.
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