As South Korea transitions into a super-aged society, addressing the challenges of aging through tailored nutritional strategies is becoming increasingly critical. This study developed a hemp seed soup designed for the elderly, using the functional benefits of hemp, a nutrient-dense ingredient rich in dietary proteins, essential fatty acids, polyphenols, and antioxidants. Soups were formulated with varying levels of hemp seed powder (0% (CS), 25% (HS25S), 50% (HS50S), and 75% (HS75S)), to address the dietary needs and physiological characteristics of the elderly, including mastication and swallowing difficulties. Increasing the hemp seed powder levels significantly enhanced the crude protein, total polyphenol, and flavonoid contents while improving the antioxidant activities, as assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assays. HS75S exhibited the highest nutritional values and antioxidant activity. By contrast, food texture analysis showed that the viscosity decreased at higher hemp seed concentrations, with HS25S and HS50S demonstrating favorable textures for elderly consumption.Consumer acceptance testing identified HS50S as the most preferred sample, scoring highest in flavor, texture, and overall acceptability. This study highlights the potential of hemp seeds as a functional ingredient in developing nutritious and elderly-friendly food products. The hemp seed soup, with its enhanced protein, antioxidant properties, and tailored texture, offers a promising solution to improve the nutritional status and health of the elderly. Future studies should explore the long-term health benefits of hemp seed soup and its integration with other functional ingredients to optimize the sensory and nutritional properties.

As South Korea transitions into a super-aged society, addressing the challenges of aging through tailored nutritional strategies is becoming increasingly critical. This study developed a hemp seed soup designed for the elderly, using the functional benefits of hemp, a nutrient-dense ingredient rich in dietary proteins, essential fatty acids, polyphenols, and antioxidants. Soups were formulated with varying levels of hemp seed powder (0% (CS), 25% (HS25S), 50% (HS50S), and 75% (HS75S)), to address the dietary needs and physiological characteristics of the elderly, including mastication and swallowing difficulties. Increasing the hemp seed powder levels significantly enhanced the crude protein, total polyphenol, and flavonoid contents while improving the antioxidant activities, as assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assays. HS75S exhibited the highest nutritional values and antioxidant activity. By contrast, food texture analysis showed that the viscosity decreased at higher hemp seed concentrations, with HS25S and HS50S demonstrating favorable textures for elderly consumption.Consumer acceptance testing identified HS50S as the most preferred sample, scoring highest in flavor, texture, and overall acceptability. This study highlights the potential of hemp seeds as a functional ingredient in developing nutritious and elderly-friendly food products. The hemp seed soup, with its enhanced protein, antioxidant properties, and tailored texture, offers a promising solution to improve the nutritional status and health of the elderly. Future studies should explore the long-term health benefits of hemp seed soup and its integration with other functional ingredients to optimize the sensory and nutritional properties.

As South Korea transitions into a super-aged society, addressing the challenges of aging through tailored nutritional strategies is becoming increasingly critical. This study developed a hemp seed soup designed for the elderly, using the functional benefits of hemp, a nutrient-dense ingredient rich in dietary proteins, essential fatty acids, polyphenols, and antioxidants. Soups were formulated with varying levels of hemp seed powder (0% (CS), 25% (HS25S), 50% (HS50S), and 75% (HS75S)), to address the dietary needs and physiological characteristics of the elderly, including mastication and swallowing difficulties. Increasing the hemp seed powder levels significantly enhanced the crude protein, total polyphenol, and flavonoid contents while improving the antioxidant activities, as assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assays. HS75S exhibited the highest nutritional values and antioxidant activity. By contrast, food texture analysis showed that the viscosity decreased at higher hemp seed concentrations, with HS25S and HS50S demonstrating favorable textures for elderly consumption.Consumer acceptance testing identified HS50S as the most preferred sample, scoring highest in flavor, texture, and overall acceptability. This study highlights the potential of hemp seeds as a functional ingredient in developing nutritious and elderly-friendly food products. The hemp seed soup, with its enhanced protein, antioxidant properties, and tailored texture, offers a promising solution to improve the nutritional status and health of the elderly. Future studies should explore the long-term health benefits of hemp seed soup and its integration with other functional ingredients to optimize the sensory and nutritional properties.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The scientific evidence of a sodium-obesity association is limited by sodium intake assessments. Our specific aim is to synthesize the association between dietary sodium intake and obesity across the sodium intake assessments as evidenced by systematic reviews in adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A systematic search identified systematic reviews comparing the association of dietary sodium intakes with obesity-related outcomes such as body mass index (BMI), body weight, waist circumference, and risk of (abdominal) obesity. We searched PubMed on October 24, 2022. To assess the Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews (ROBIS), we employed the ROBIS tool. RESULTS: This review included 3 systematic reviews, consisting of 39 unique observational studies (35 cross-sectional studies and 4 longitudinal studies) and 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We found consistently positive associations between dietary sodium intake and obesity-related outcomes in cross-sectional studies. Studies that used 24-h urine collection indicated a greater BMI for those with higher sodium intake (mean difference = 2.27 kg/m2 ; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59–2.51; P < 0.001; I2 = 77%) compared to studies that used spot urine (mean difference = 1.34 kg/m2 ; 95% CI, 1.13–1.55; P < 0.001; I2 = 95%) and dietary methods (mean difference = 0.85 kg/m2 ; 95% CI, 0.1–1.51; P < 0.05; I2 = 95%). CONCLUSIONS Quantitative synthesis of the systematic reviews has shown that crosssectional associations between dietary sodium intake and obesity outcomes were substantially different across the sodium intake assessments. We need more high-quality prospective cohort studies and RCTs using 24-h urine collection to examine the causal effects of sodium intake on obesity.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Many studies have revealed an association between fat mass and the obesity-related gene (FTO) and obesity. On the other hand, no meta-analysis was conducted with data from only Koreans. Therefore, this study performed a meta-analysis using Korean data to provide evidence for the association between FTO single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the risk of obesity among Korean adults.SUBJECT/METHODS: Meta-analysis was finally conducted with data extracted from seven datasets of four studies performed on Korean adults after the screening passed. Five kinds of FTO SNPs (rs9939609, rs7193144, rs9940128, rs8050136, and rs9926289) were included, and the relationship between FTO SNPs and body mass index (BMI) was investigated using linear regression with an additive model adjusted for covariants, such as age, sex, and area. RESULTS: The minor alleles of FTO SNPs were associated with increased BMI (odds ratio [OR], 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21–1.42). In sub-group analysis, FTO rs9939609 T>A was significantly associated with BMI (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.06–1.42). The other FTO SNPs together were significantly associated with BMI (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.25–1.49). The publication bias was not observed based on Egger’s test. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis showed that minor alleles in the FTO SNPs were significantly associated with an increased BMI among Korean adults. This meta-analysis is the first to demonstrate that minor alleles in the FTO SNPs contribute significantly to the increased risk of obesity among Korean adults using data from a Korean population.

In the era of the fourth industrial revolution technology, the inclusion of personalized nutrition for healthcare (PNH), when establishing a healthcare platform to prevent chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, and inflammatory diseases, enhances the national competitiveness of global healthcare markets. Furthermore, since the government experienced COVID-19 and the population dead cross in 2020, as well as numerous health problems due to an increasing super-aged Korean society, there is an urgent need to secure, develop, and utilize PNHrelated technologies. Three conditions are essential for the development of PNH technologies. These include the establishment of causality between obesity genome (genotype) and prevalence (phenotype) in Koreans, validation of clinical intervention research, and securing PNH-utilization technology (i.e., algorithm development, artificial intelligence-based platform, directto-customer [DTC]-based PNH, etc.). Therefore, a national control tower is required to establish appropriate PNH infrastructure (basic and clinical research, cultivation of PNHrelated experts, etc.). The post-corona era will be aggressive in sharing data knowledge and developing related technologies, and Korea needs to actively participate in the large-scale global healthcare markets. This review provides the importance of scientific evidence based on a huge dataset, which is the primary prerequisite for the DTC obesity gene-based PNH technologies to be competitive in the healthcare market. Furthermore, based on comparing domestic and internationally approved DTC obese genes and the current status of Korean obesity genome-based PNH research, we intend to provide a direction to PNH planners (individuals and industries) for establishing scientific PNH guidelines for the prevention of obesity.

Purpose: To provide the primary data on dietary guidelines for the management of obesity, we analyzed the intake rate of food groups and dish groups according to obesity and age.Data were obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANSE, 2013–2018). Methods: This study analyzed the data of 21,184 adults aged 19-64 years, obtained from the KNHANSE 2013–2018. The 24-hour recall was performed and the food groups were classified into six representative food groups (grains, meat·fish·eggs·legumes, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy, and oil and sugar), and ‘alcohol’ and ‘others’. The dish groups were classified into a total of twenty-four types. Results: The normal group included 9,004 subjects (42.5%), while the obese group had 12,180 subjects (57.5%). The food groups showing significant differences according to obesity were grains (p < 0.001), meat/fish/egg/legumes (p < 0.001), and vegetables (p < 0.001); similar results were obtained in both male and female. Comparing the intake rate of food groups and dish groups targeting only the obese group according to age, the food groups showing significance between the obese group and the normal group were grains (p < 0.001) and vegetables (p < 0.001), with significantly increased intake in both genders. Considering the dish groups, significant increases were determined for stews (p < 0.001), seasoned vegetables (p < 0.001), and kimchi (p < 0.001) in male, and for rice (p < 0.001), seasoned vegetables (p < 0.001), kimchi (p < 0.001), and rice cakes (p < 0.001) in female. Conclusion The results of this study determined that the intake ratio of food and dish groups differs by age in obese adults. We believe that our results can be used as primary data for forming dietary guidelines for obese adults in the future.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education program on the use of specific food groups in improving nutrition-related knowledge and attitude, dietary behavior, creative problem solving, and STEAM attitude. Methods: We selected two classes at a kindergarten in Jeollabuk-do, South Korea. A total of 44 kindergarteners from the two classrooms participated in this study. The experimental group and the control group were formed with 22 students each. The experimental group attended 11 STEAM classes on the use of the grain, fruit, and milk food groups. First, we performed the paired t-test to examine changes from pre-to-post classes for both groups.Then, we used ANCOVA to compare post-test scores between the experimental and control groups with the adjustment of pre-test scores. Results: The results demonstrate that the STEAM education program on the use of the food groups significantly improved (1) nutrition-related knowledge and attitude, and dietary behavior (P < 0.001), (2) creative problem solving (P < 0.001), and (3) STEAM attitude (P < 0.001) in the intervention group when compared with the control group. Conclusions The STEAM education program on the use of food groups is effective in enhancing nutrition knowledge and attitude, dietary behavior, creative problem solving, and STEAM attitudes among kindergarten students.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Due to the rapid increase of global cancer incidence and mortality and a high level of interest in cancer prevention, a systematic review of garlic intake and cancer risk is needed. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We implemented a systematic review to examine the effects of varying levels of garlic intake on cancer. We conducted comprehensive literature searches in three electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science) for studies published between database inception and July or September of 2018. Two investigators independently screened abstracts and full-texts, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias (RoB). A total of one medium-quality randomized controlled trial (RCT) and 13 cohort studies graded as high RoB were included. RESULTS: The 1-year follow-up results from a RCT showed that a significant decrease in the number and size of colorectal adenomas among participants with colorectal adenomas who received high-dose aged garlic extract (AGE) compared with those who received low-dose AGE (P < 0.05). The results of prospective observational studies provided inconsistent associations of colorectal cancer risk with garlic supplements and garlic intake as food. CONCLUSIONS In summary, the AGE was effective in reducing the number and magnitude of colorectal adenomas in one RCT, but there were inconsistent associations between garlic intake and colorectal cancer in cohort studies. Therefore, we could not draw a firm conclusion regarding the effects of garlic on cancer, because the current strength of evidence is inadequate due to a lack of number of high-quality RCTs.

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to (1) examine the multi-year prevalence of highly caffeinated beverage (HCB) consumption, (2) identify sex differences in the prevalence, and (3) investigate relationships between HCB consumption and behavioral characteristics in a nationally representative sample of Korean adolescents. Methods: Data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (2014–2017) were analyzed. Results: HCB consumption was higher in 2017 than 2014 (23.9% vs. 12.0%), and higher among boys than girls (17.2% vs. 13.1%). HCB drinkers were more likely to (1) be boys, (2) be overweight or obese, (3) use alcohol and tobacco, (4) consume soda at least once per week, (5) consume sweetened beverages at least once per week, (6) have seriously considered suicide during the past 12 months, and (7) have attempted suicide during the past 12 months (p<0.05 for all). Conclusion Effective programs to curb HCB consumption among Korean adolescents need to be established.