This study was conducted to investigate the differences in daily nutrient intakes, dietary habits and nutrition knowledge between male and female college students. Male undergraduate students (104 subjects) and female undergraduate students (229 subjects), enrolled at H University in Daejeon, were recruited for this study. The mean age of the subjects was 22.9 year in male and 20.4 year in female students. Daily intakes of energy and nutrients were calculated from the records of one day of dietary food intakes by 24-hour recall method, and general information, dietary habits and attitudes, food intake frequency and food preferences and knowledge for food and nutrition were surveyed through a questionnaire. About 70.1% of male and 66.1% of female students were in the normal range of BMI (18.5 - 23), and 25.2% of male students were over-weighted in contrast to 27.7% of female students were underweight. Males and females were taking 77.2% and 77.9% of RDA for energy, respectively, and 54.8% of male and 48.0% of female students were taking energy under 75% of RDA. Many of them showed deficient intakes of calcium, iron, vitamin A and riboflavin. Average of MAR was 0.75 in male and 0.72 in female students. NAR for calcium, iron, vitamin A and riboflavin in male students were 0.55, 0.69, 0.75 and 0.61, respectively, compared to 0.53, 0.51, 0.70 and 0.67 in female students. The nutrients, which have INQ less than 1, were calcium and riboflavin in male, compared to calcium, iron, and riboflavin in female students. There were no gender differences in meal regularity and meal skipping rates, but female students showed higher rates of skipping dinner than males (p < 0.001). About 50.8% of female students were ingesting snacks 1 - 2 time/day, compared to 27.1% of male students. For the food intake frequency, fruit group was significantly eating more for female than male students (p < 0.001). Though female students got higher scores for nutritional knowledge test (p < 0.01) than male students, they did not show better dietary habits or dietary attitudes than male students actually. Therefore, a more active and actual education program accustomed to the different genders and ages with focus on real changing of dietary behaviors needs to be developed and run in schools and local departments.
Calcium ; Diet* ; Eating ; Education ; Female* ; Food Habits* ; Food Preferences ; Fruit ; Humans ; Iron ; Male* ; Meals ; Reference Values ; Riboflavin ; Snacks ; Thinness ; Vitamin A ; Surveys and Questionnaires

It is known that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) shows a dual effect, prooxidant or antioxidant, depending on the dosage or physiological status of animals. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of DHEA administration at low dose on lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation and fatty acid composition in liver. Sprague Dawley male rats were fed either corn oil diet containing 15% corn oil or fish oil diet containing 2% corn oil + 13% sardine oil, with or without 0.2% DHEA for 9 weeks. Atherogenic index and hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol levels were significantly reduced by DHEA administration in rats fed with fish oil diet. Hepatic lipid peroxide product (TBARS) and protein carbonyl levels were significantly higher in rats fed with fish oil diet than in rats fed with corn oil diet. However, DHEA administration significantly reduced the hepatic thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) and conjugated diene levels in rats fed with fish oil diet. Contents of C16 : 0, C16 : 1, C20 : 5 and C22 : 6 in hepatic microsome were higher in rats fed with fish oil diet than in rats fed with corn oil diet, and contents of C18 : 2 and C20 : 4 were lower than in rats fed with corn oil diet. DHEA administration significantly increased C16 : 0 and C18 : 3 contents and reduced C18 : 2 content in rats fed with corn oil diet, while it increased C16 : 0 and C18 : 1 and reduced C20 : 5 and C22 : 6 in rats fed with fish oil diet. On overall, DHEA administration increased saturated fatty acid (SFA) and reduced polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in hepatic microsome, thereby PUFA/SFA ratio was significantly (p < 0.0001) reduced without the change of n-3/n-6 ratio. Taken together, low dose of DHEA administration lowered PUFA/SFA ratio in hepatic microsomal membranes and also showed antioxidative effect especially in fish oil-induced highly oxidative stress condition through blocking increases of C20 : 5 and C22 : 6 contents.
Animals ; Cholesterol ; Corn Oil ; Dehydroepiandrosterone* ; Diet ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver* ; Male ; Membranes ; Microsomes ; Microsomes, Liver* ; Oxidative Stress ; Protein Carbonylation ; Rats* ; Triglycerides

The nutritional status of middle-aged overweight and control normal subjects were evaluated for the purpose of providing the background information of the degenerative disease control. A survey was conducted with 293 healthy subjects (121 males and 172 females) between the ages 40 - 64. The average BMI (body mass index) of male subjects was 24.5 +/- 2.75, and that of females was 23.5 +/- 2.87. The average values of WHR (waist-hip ratio) were 0.88 +/- 0.04 for males and 0.82 +/- 0.07 for females. The normal BMI group (BMI 18.5 - 22.9) comprised 28.9% of males and 47.1% of females. The percentage of overweight subjects (BMI 23 - 24.9) was 26.4% of males and 30.8% of females. The obese group (BMI > 25) was 44.6% of males and 22.1% of females, showing the greater rate of obese state among male subjects. The average energy intakes were 76.6 +/- 14.9% for males and 77.8 +/- 12.6% for females, protein intakes were 108.0 +/- 24.6% for males and 111.2 +/- 22.7% for females of the RDA levels. The average intakes of other nutrients were above the 75% of RDA levels except calcium. The average nutrient intakes of the three subgroups according to their BMI values were not different for both males and females. There were weak correlations between obesity and blood biochemical indices. There were positive correlations between BMI or WHR and hemoglobin, hematocrit, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, AST or ALT. There were negative correlations between BMI or WHR and HDLcholesterol. These results suggest that the obesity rate of middle-aged is an influential factor of chronic disease. The middle-aged subjects of this study with higher educational and socioeconomic background tend to have desirable nutrition knowledge and attitude, but the application of their knowledge or attitude was relatively poor.
Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Chronic Disease ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Male ; Nutritional Status* ; Obesity ; Overweight* ; Seoul* ; Triglycerides

Subclinical vitamin B12 deficiency is common in the elderly worldwide. We investigated the change of serum vitamin B12 concentration with aging and compared anthropometric data and clinical health indicators between normal (> or = 340 pg/mL) and low (< 340 pg/mL) serum vitamin B12 groups in 470 Korean women aged 65 years and over living in a rural area. Serum vitamin B12 concentration showed inverse correlation with age (r = -0.0992, p < 0.05). The normal B12 group showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit compared to the low B12 group, however, no difference in mean corpuscular volume was observed between the two groups. The normal B12 group showed significantly lower serum homocysteine concentration (p < 0.01) and prevalence of vitamin D (p < 0.01) or folate deficiency (p < 0.001). Bone mineral density (T-score) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the normal B12 group, compared with that in the low B12 group, and showed positive correlation (r = 0.1490, p < 0.01) with serum vitamin B12 concentration after adjusting for age, body weight, and body mass index. No differences in anthropometric data, physical activity, and smoking and drinking habits were observed between the two groups. In conclusion, it could be suggested that older female adults with normal serum vitamin B12 level would be less anemic and osteoporotic and more resistant to hyperhomocysteinemia associated chronic diseases than those with low serum vitamin B12 level.
Adult ; Aged ; Aging ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Bone Density ; Chronic Disease ; Drinking ; Erythrocyte Count ; Erythrocyte Indices ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Hematocrit ; Hemoglobins ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Korea ; Motor Activity ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency ; Vitamin D ; Vitamins

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between taste perceptions and risk factors for health of Korean elderly living in rural areas. Recognition thresholds for four basic tastes, drug consumption, BMI, fasting blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, serum triglyceride, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were assessed in 176 males and 312 females aged between 50 and 88 years. For the recognition threshold of the four basic tastes, alcohol drinking did not influence their sensitivities, but the alcohol drinking group preferred a higher pleasant concentration of NaCl than did the non-alcohol drinking group. However, smoking significantly decreased sensitivities of the four basic tastes. For the pleasant concentration of NaCl, the smoking group tended to prefer a higher concentration than the non-smoking group. Drug consumption, fasting blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, and serum triglycerides did not have a significant correlation to the sensitivity of the four basic tastes and preference of salty solution. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure may have been positively correlated with the pleasant concentration of NaCl but did not correlate with the recognition thresholds of NaCl and sucrose. Further, systolic blood pressure was negatively correlated with the recognition thresholds of caffeine, whereas diastolic blood pressure was negatively correlated with the recognition thresholds of caffeine and citric acid. The finding that the risk factors for health correlated with taste perception has diagnostic and practical implications for health promotion for the elderly.
Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Caffeine ; Cholesterol ; Citric Acid ; Drinking ; Fasting ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Sucrose ; Taste Perception ; Triglycerides

The population aged 95 years and older in Seoul approximately increased to five-fold over the past 10 years, while nationwide rates increased to three-fold. In order to examine the dietary habit and nutritional status of oldest-old population living in Seoul, we recruited 87 subjects (25 males and 62 females) aged 95 years and older. The prevalence of underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI > or = 25 kg/m2) were 18.2% and 18.2% in males, and 20.8% and 9.4% in females, respectively. In self-assessment of health, only 25.3% answered to be unhealthy. More males exercised regularly and reported a wide range of activities than females. The average of %Kcal from carbohydrate, protein and fat (C : P : F) was 64.9 : 13.8 : 21.2 in males and 68.1 : 14.2 : 17.7 in females. The average daily energy intake was 1,307 kcal in males and 1,304 kcal in females. More than 75% of subjects were taking under estimated average requirements (EAR) for vitamin B1, B2 & C and Ca. The average of mean adequacy ratio (MAR) was 0.66 in males and 0.70 in females, and 28.8% of males and 12.9% of females were in MAR < 0.50. Based on MAR, 32.0% of males and 14.5% females were classified as normal and 16.0% of males and 25.8% of females were classified as malnourished. Our subjects were taking more animal food, especially milk and its products, compared to those living, in rural areas. However, a significant proportion did not meet the EAR for vitamin B1, B2 & C and Ca.
Aged ; Animals ; Ear ; Energy Intake ; Female ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Male ; Milk ; Nutritional Status ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Self-Assessment ; Thiamine ; Thinness

PURPOSE: Ultraviolet (UV)-induced oxidative stress contributes to several adverse biological effects on skin. Many phenolic phytochemicals have been shown to have antioxidant properties and protect skin cells from UV-induced oxidative damage. In this study, we investigated whether or not Aralia elata (AE) has a protective effect against UVB-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS), ultimately leading to photoaging. METHODS: Phenolic content of dried AE and antioxidant properties of AE extract in 70% ethanol weredetermined by measuring DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The effect of AE extract on cellular ROS generation and expression levels of oxidative stress-response proteins such as superoxide dismutase (SOD)-1, catalase, nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf)-2,and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 in UVB-irradiated (75 mJ/cm²) human keratinocytes (HaCaT) were further determined by 2'-7'-dichlorofluoresceine diacetate assay and Western blotting, respectively. RESULTS: The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of dried AE were 20.15 mg tannic acid/g and 18.75 mg rutin/g, respectively. The IC₅₀ of AE extract against DPPH radical was 98.5 µg/mL, and ABTS radical scavenging activity and FRAP upon treatment with 1,000 µg/mL of AE extract were 41.8 µg ascorbic acid (AA) eq./mL and 29.7 µg AA eq./mL,m respectively. Pretreatment with AE extract significantly reduced (p < 0.05) ROS generation compared to that in UVB-irradiated control HaCaT cells. Pretreatment with AE extract reversed reduction of Nrf-2 and SOD-1 protein expression and induction of HO-1 protein expression caused by UVB exposure in HaCaT cells, whereas it did not affect catalase expression. CONCLUSION: AE extract in 70% ethanol demonstrated a protective effect against UVB-induced oxidative stress and decreased expression of Nrf-2 and SOD-1 in human keratinocytes. These findings suggest that AE ethanol extract might have potential as a natural resource for a skin antiphotoaging product in the food and cosmetic industry.
Aralia* ; Ascorbic Acid ; Blotting, Western ; Catalase ; Ethanol* ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; Humans* ; Keratinocytes* ; Natural Resources ; Oxidative Stress* ; Phenol ; Phytochemicals ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Skin ; Superoxide Dismutase

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of smoking and/or alcohol drinking on the nutrient intake, nutritional status, and eating habits of adult males. The subjects were 157 male adults aged 20-49 living in Daejon. Interviews with questionaire on smoking and alcohol drinking habits and eating habits, anthropometric measurement, biochemical blood test, and dietary assessment by one-day 24 hour recall and two-day diet record were carried out. The subjects were divided into four groups : control (non-smoking and non-drinking), drinking only, smoking only, and the both(drinking and smoking). The average numbers of smoked cigarettes were 17.8/d and 19.1/d in the smoking only group and the both group, respectively. The frequency of alcohol drinking was 8.3 times/month and 11.6 times/month in the drinking only group and the both group, respectively. Height was significantly higher(P 0.05) in the drinking only group than in the none and smoking only groups, while the other anthropometric indices were not different among the four groups. There were positive correlations between smoking and drinking or coffee intake. Alcohol drinking increased eating-out frequency and the intakes of energy, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin A, B1, B/sub 6/, Fe and P, while smoking decreased snack frequency and intakes of energy, protein and vitamin B/sub 6/. Blood pressure was not changed in the smoking only and drinking only groups compared to the none group, while systolic blood pressure was elevated in both group(P 0.05). Alcohol drinking significantly elevated(P 0.05) serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholestrol level, while smoking did not change the serum lipid and cholesterol levels. Hemoglobin nd MCHC levels were significantly elevated(P 0.05) by smoking. From these data, it is suggested that both smoking and drinking have influence on some eating habits and nutrient intakes, and especially alcohol drinking can induce hypercholesterolemia.
Adult* ; Alcohol Drinking* ; Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol ; Coffee ; Daejeon ; Diet Records ; Dietary Proteins ; Drinking ; Eating* ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Male* ; Nutritional Status* ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Snacks ; Tobacco Products ; Vitamin A ; Vitamins

There is a limitation to estimate vitamin B12 intake due to the lack of data on vitamin B12 content of Korean commercial foods. In this study, vitamin B12 content was determined in favorite Korean restaurant foods, convenient or instant foods, fast foods and bakery products through a modified microbioassay using Lactobacillus delbrueckii ATCC 7830. Bulgogi and seafood & green pepper griddle had high vitamin B12 content, 3.50 and 2.96 microg/100 g, respectively. Pork suyook, pork griddle and pollack griddle had 0.48, 0.31 and 0.32 microg/100 g of vitamin B12, respectively. In stew, soft-tofu stew with seafood and doenjang stew with seafood had relatively high vitamin B12 content, 1.93 and 1.44 microg/100 g, respectively. Bibimbap and 4 different types of rice porridge, beef & mushroom, chicken & ginseng, seafood or abalone, had 0.36, 0.08, 0.09, 1.64 and 0.13 microg/100 g of vitamin B12, respectively. One serving of haejanggguk, yookejang, chuotang and galbitang had 5.97, 2.04, 2.63 and 1.91 microg of vitamin B12, respectively. One serving of samgetang and sulongtang had 2.89 microg and 6.64 microg of vitamin B12. In noodles, one serving of cram noodle soup, bibim-nangmyeon, and mul-nangmyeon had 18.8, 1.21 and 0.38 microg of vitamin B12, respectively. One regular gimbap and one triangle gimbap contained 1.09-2.53 and 0.54-1.11 microg of vitamin B12, respectively. One cheese-burger, chicken-burger and bulgogi-burger had 0.76, 0.62 and 0.54 microg of vitamin B12, respectively. A plain bagel and a waffle contained 0.13 and 0.17 microg/100 g of vitamin B12, respectively. Ready-made tomato sauce or cream sauce for spaghetti in a retort pouch contained only a trace of vitamin B12. In conclusion, these results should contribute to improving the present food vitamin B12 content database, most of which were cited from foreign data, thereby it could be helpful to estimate the vitamin B12 intake of Koreans more accurately than before. It will also provide new information for dietary education related to vitamin B12 and health.
Agaricales ; Capsicum ; Chickens ; Fast Foods ; Lactobacillus delbrueckii ; Lycopersicon esculentum ; Panax ; Restaurants ; Seafood ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vitamins

The purpose of this study is to evaluate an antioxidative effect of estrogen on the bone in oophorectomized rats. Thirty Sprague-Daley rats were equally divided into 3 groups; group 1 as control group with sham operation, group 2 as experimental group with oophorectomy, and group 3 as oophorectomized group treated with estrogen. Estradiol (5mg/kg BW) was administered three times per week from first to sixth week after oophorectomy. Left tibia was obtained to measure the amount of protein carbonyls as an index of oxidative stress and the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The results were as follows: trahecular bone area in proximal tihia decreased after oophorectomy, which increased in response to estrogen administration. The level of protein carbonylation in hone was not significantly different among all groups. Activity of antioxidant enzymes such ais glutathione reductase(GR), glutathione peroxidase(GP) and glutathione transferase(GST) in bone was not significantly different among all groups. However, the activity of catalase in bone markedly increased in group 3 compared with that in group 1 and group 2. In summary, bone trabecular area increased after admin- istration of estrogen. And estrogen induced the activitv of catalase, which might contrihute to prevent the oxidative damage. However, the glutathione utilizing enzymes such as GR, GP and GST were not significantly affected by estrogen status.
Animals ; Catalase ; Estradiol ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Glutathione ; Ovariectomy ; Oxidative Stress ; Protein Carbonylation ; Rats* ; Tibia