A Comparison of Nutritional Status Among Eight Constitutional Groups in Relation to Food Preference on the View Point of Constitutional Medicine

체질의학의 체질분류법에 따른 식품기호도와 영양상태의 상관성에 관한 연구

This study was carried out to compare the nutritional status with food preference of subjects in eight constitutional groups on the view point of constitutional medicine. The constitutions of 124 college women was classified by Kwon's theory. Food preference of the subjects was surveyed in accordance with the suggested foods for each constitution and the health status was investigated by Cornell Medical Index. The following determinations were also made to compare food preference score with the nutritional status : Hb, Hct, WBC, serum levels of albumin, protein, IgG, IgA, IsM, $C_3$, Triglyceride, cholesterol, and total lipids, and lipoprotein fraction ratio. The distribution of the constitution revealed that Jupito individuals accounts 51.6%, the most followed by ; Saturno, 21.8%: Hespero, 10.5%: Jupita, 8.1%: Hespera, 3.2%: Mercurio, 3.2%, no subject belonged to satura. There were no difference among constitutional groups in food preference score, health status and the values of most blood components. Only significant difference was that the percentage of mental complaints in Mercurio was lowest and serum IgG level in Jupito was the highest among groups. Correlation between values of blood component and food preference score shows variety of different trends. However, the results suggested that the better food consumption of the subjects was in accordance with the suggested foods for the constitution, the better the nutritional status of the subjects was.