• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.523-532
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• 2022

Vitamin C is an important physiological antioxidant which neutralizes reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduces the oxidative stress in the body. Although it has been associated with various diseases, few studies have reported the dose-response relationship between vitamin C intake, storage and functions in the body, including its antioxidant function. The criteria to establish the Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs) for vitamin C were based on the changes in plasma concentrations and saturation of leukocytes according to intake levels and the effects on antioxidant capacity and risk of metabolic diseases. When establishing the 2020 vitamin C KDRI, while there was no change in the criteria from those of 2015, the reference values were recalculated and revised to reflect changes such as the new standard weight by age. As the number of people consuming dietary supplements has increased over the last decade, only about 10% of adults consume less than the average total vitamin C, but the proportion of adolescents and elderly who consume less than the average is high. On the other hand, as the intake of vitamin C supplements increases, the proportion of people consuming excessive vitamin C is also increasing. There is a body of opinion that it is necessary to establish a vitamin C KDRI for smokers or people with chronic diseases such as the metabolic syndrome, but these standards have not been established due to the lack of supporting scientific evidence. As a result, studies to establish vitamin C KDRI for Korean smokers and patients with the metabolic syndrome, as well as studies on the excessive intake of vitamin C due to supplementation and interactions with other nutrients, are needed.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.208-219
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• 2015

Objectives: According to preceding studies, many people with mental disability have unbalanced dietary habits or excessive intake of calories. Most of them are overweight or obese due to lack of self-control for food consumption, swallowing with inadequate chewing and physical inactivity. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the nutritional intake, including carotenoid, in mentally disabled people and find out a possible solution for nutritional improvement. Methods: People with intellectual disability (N=28), emotional disability (N=44) participated in this study. The disorder grades were from I to III and ages were between 20 and 65 years. Assessments included anthropometry, daily intake of nutrients, including carotenoid, ROMA III questionnaire for assessing bowel movement. Results: The average BMI of intellectually disabled people and emotionally disabled people was in the range of overweight and obesity respectively ($23.7{\pm}6.3kg/m^2$, $25.8{\pm}4.1kg/m^2$). Overall, the frequencies of vegetable and dairy product intakes were lower in this population. When compared with Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) from Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans 2010, the intakes of vitamin $B_1$, vitamin $B_2$ and calcium were insufficient in both groups. Also, lycopene intakes of carotenoid were low, compared with traditional Korean diet of the non-disabled people from the second year 2008 of the 4th National Health and Nutrition Survey. In addition, emotionally disabled people also had lower intake of cryptoxanthin. Conclusions: The mentally disabled people in this study showed lower intakes of vitamin $B_1$, vitamin $B_2$, calcium and carotenoids. Based on these findings, we recommend that it is important to encourage mentally disabled people to consume sufficient amounts of such nutrients in order to promote nutritional status.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.603-614
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• 1993

This study was undertaken to investigate the dietary factors related to the incidence of stomach and colon cancers in Korean. The subjects were 139 stomach and 52 colon cancer patients recruited from 3 general hospitals in Seoul. Food intake, anthropometric measurement, and blood compositions were studied through personal interview and using medical records. Body weight, body mass index, triceps skinfold thickness, body muscle mass of the subjects were lower than reference values. The body weight was reduced after the onset of the illness, which suggests body waste due to the cancers. The patients showed the lower valuies of hemoglobin and hematocrit. Serum protein and calcium were at lower limit of the normal range. Therefore the untritional status assessed by anthropometry and blood composition should be said to be marginal. The average intake of most of the nutrients except Ca of the subjects met the RDA, but the range was wide and the nutrient intake of large proportion of the subjects feel below 75% of RDA. The food intake of egg, milk, legumes, and fruts were lower than national average, on the other hand the subjects had higher intake of meat, vegetables, and fats. The subjects drank and smoked heavily, stomach cancers being more severs. From this results, dietary risk factors for the stomach and colon cancers in Korean did not agree with the reports of western societies. Even though the intakes of meat and animal food of colon cancer patients can not be classified as high, it was higher than stomach cancer and national average. Therefore it could be concluded that with increasing consumption of animal food, the incidence of colon cancer would be increased in Korea.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.268-276
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study is to estimate total sugar intake and identify major food sources of total sugar intake in the diet of the Korean population. Methods: Dietary intake data of 33,745 subjects aged one year and over from the KNHANES 2008-2011 were used in the analysis. Information on dietary intake was obtained by one day 24-hour recall method in KNHANES. A database for total sugar content of foods reported in the KNHANES was established using Release 25 of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, a total sugar database from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and information from nutrition labeling of processed foods. With this database, total sugar intake of each subject was estimated from dietary intake data using SAS. Results: Mean total sugar intake of Koreans was 61.4 g/person/day, corresponding to 12.8% of total daily energy intake. More than half of this amount (35.0 g/day, 7.1% of daily energy intake) was from processed foods. The top five processed food sources of total sugar intake for Koreans were granulated sugar, carbonated beverages, coffee, breads, and fruit and vegetable drinks. Compared to other age groups, total sugar intake of adolescents and young adults was much higher (12 to 18 yrs, 69.6 g/day and 19 to 29 yrs, 68.4 g/day) with higher beverage intake that beverage-driven sugar amounted up to 25% of total sugar intake. Conclusion: This study revealed that more elaborated and customized measures are needed for control of sugar intake of different subpopulation groups, even though current total sugar intake of Koreans was within the range (10-20% of daily energy intake) recommended by Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans. In addition, development of a more reliable database on total sugar and added sugar content of foods commonly consumed by Koreans is warranted.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.8-21
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• 2024

In this study, the effects of a 12-month multidisciplinary education program on the health status, dietary quality, and eating habits of children and adolescents attending community childcare centers were investigated. A total of 88 participants aged 7 to 17 years from 7 community childcare centers in Gyeonggi-do were enrolled. The intervention consisted of 12 multidisciplinary education sessions covering topics such as nutrition, exercise, and psychological education. All participants received the same education, and the effectiveness of the program was evaluated by categorizing them into a high participation group (HPG) and a low participation group (LPG) based on their participation rates. After intervention, in physical activities, moderate-intensity exercise was significantly reduced in the LPG, and there was no significant difference in psychological parameters. However, notable differences were observed in nutritional data. After intervention, intakes of calorie, carbohydrate, protein, and fat were significantly increased in both groups, and in particular, the change was found to be greater in HPG. Additionally, dietary fiber intake compared to the 2015 Korean Dietary Reference Intakes was increased in both groups. Daily food intake also increased dietary fiber intake in HPG, and meat and fruit intake was increased in LPG. In the nutrition quotient, there was a significant difference in HPG's pre- and post-scores in the diversity category, and in nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), the NAR of phosphorus was increased in both groups. The findings of this study suggest that multidisciplinary education implemented at community childcare centers primarily enhanced nutrition-related factors rather than physical activity or psychological aspects.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.283-297
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the nutrient intake and level of depressive symptoms. A total of 5,761 subjects with depression were selected for the main data analysis from a Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, KNHANES (2016), and were divided into low depressed and high depressed groups. The data were analyzed by descriptive analysis, ${\chi}^2-test$, logistic regression, and t-test using SPSS 24.0 statistics. The results revealed significant differences in the prevalence of depression according to sex (P<0.001), age (P<0.001), income (P<0.001), and education (P<0.001). Regarding the health behavior, higher stress levels (P<0.001) and smoking habit (P<0.001) appeared to be strongly associated with high levels of depression. On the other hand, the possibility of experiencing depressive symptoms was lower when the number of walking days per week was more than 3 days (P<0.05), when the number of working days per week was more than 5 days (P<0.01), and the rate of aerobic physical activity was higher. Based on the 'Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans 2015', the subjects in the low depression group showed better intake of energy and 22 nutrients than the high depression group.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.201-210
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• 2022

Vitamin A (Vit A) is a lipid-soluble vitamin required for diverse normal body functions, including good vision, reproduction, growth, development, and cellular differentiation. The therapeutic effects of Vit A have been demonstrated for the treatments of inflammation, low immunity, and cancer. The present review discusses the scientific evidence for establishing the 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRI) for Vit A, issues caused by unit change of Vit A, and suggestions for the 2025 KDRI revision. Due to the changes in the standard bodyweight observed in several age groups, the 2020 KDRI had minor revisions as compared to the 2015 KDRI. In the 2015 KDRI, the Vit A unit has changed from retinol equivalent (RE) to retinol activity equivalent (RAE) and the activity of carotenoids became half with RAE compared to RE due to this unit change. Since the Vit A intake of Koreans relies heavily on plant-based carotenoids, the dietary intake of Vit A in Koreans as determined by considering the RAE was much lower than values obtained with RE. The analysis for Vit A intake by the Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey only reflects intakes of retinol and beta-carotene. Thus, it would be necessary to include the consumption of other provitamin A, such as alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin. Moreover, assessing the amounts of Vit A in foods should be customized to Korean diets since there are seasonal variations in the carotenoid concentration of plants. Moreover, other factors such as age- and sex-specific intake data and considerations of baseline micronutrient status, body mass index, and dietary patterns should be considered for developing more precise KDRI. In particular, the Vit A requirement needs to be met by consuming diverse foods, including animal foods.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.233-247
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to describe the development process of the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI) based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). SUBJECTS/METHODS: The components of KHEI were selected based on Dietary Guidelines for Koreans, domestic and overseas dietary quality indices, and results of the analysis of association with chronic diseases. The standards for scoring of KHEI were selected based on the 2015 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRI). The KHEI scores of Korean adults were calculated using a 1-day 24-h recall data in the 2013-2015 KNHANES. RESULTS: The KHEI included eight adequacy components evaluating the proper intake of recommended foods such as fruit, vegetable, and milk and three moderation components evaluating the consumption of food that limit intake such as sodium and saturated fatty acid. In addition, three balance components assessing the balance of energy intake were included. The KHEI score was defined to range from the minimum of 0 point to the maximum of 100 points. Among Korean adults, the total KHEI score was 63.2 out of 100. Gender and age differences were found in the average of total KHEI scores. Women showed higher score than men (61.7 in men and 64.7 in women, respectively). By age group, 20s and 30s showed the lowest scores with 57.4 and 61.1 respectively, and the scores increased with age by peaking at 67.8 in ages 60-69 and slowed down again in ages 70 or over. CONCLUSIONS: The KHEI can be useful for establishing and assessing national nutritional policies and in epidemiological studies to assess the relationship between overall dietary quality and chronic diseases. KHEI will need to be continuously updated to reflect changes in dietary guidelines and the KDRI.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.531-540
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• 2012

This study was carried out in order to investigate the status of food and nutrient intakes depending on the types of chronic disease of the elderly at welfare centers in Seoul. The total number of subjects was 299 elderly over the age of 60 (82 men and 217 women); they were grouped by the disease status: normal, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes mellitus (DM) and arthritis patients groups. The dietary intakes were obtained by a 24-hour recall and analyzed by CAN-Pro 4.0; they were then compared with the dietary reference intakes for the Korean (KDRIs). In the results of anthropometric data according to chronic disease, the waist circumference of the normal group in males and females was lower than the other groups; in particular, the normal female group showed a lower level of waist-hip ratio, body mass index (BMI) and body fat % than those of the other groups. The arthritis group showed a higher intake of milk products than the other groups (p < 0.05); consequently, calcium intake was significantly higher than that of the other groups (p < 0.001). Vitamin A intake in the arthritis group was significantly higher than the intake in the normal and DM groups (p < 0.01). Normal and arthritis groups showed significantly higher intake of zinc and copper than the CVD group (p < 0.01). In general, about 80% of the subjects in this study revealed insufficient intakes of riboflavin, vitamin C, calcium, dietary fiber, vitamin D, biotin and potassium, compared with the estimated average requirement (EAR) or adequate intake (AI). However, sodium intake of all groups was higher than the AI of KDRIs. In conclusion, nutrient intake, according to the chronic disease, showed significant difference in some of the micronutrients, vitamin A, Ca, Zn and Cu. Therefore, we suggest that dietary guidelines, such as reducing the intake of salty foods and sweet drinks and increasing the intake of foods with sufficient calcium, vitamin D and vitamin C, are necessary to the improvement of eating habits for the elderly.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.82-88
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• 2013

Cancer is the first leading cause of death in Korea and the second leading cause of death in the USA. There is extensive research into prevention of cancer and the support of oncology patients with diet or dietary supplements. In vitro and in vivo animal studies have indicated that antioxidants, including beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, and ascorbic acid, can yield anti-cancer effects in addition to providing protection against oxidative damage. Although many observational studies have shown that consuming fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of some cancers, the results of several large-scale human intervention trials testing the benefits of a single or combined higher-dose of individual micronutrients have been inconsistent. Cancer can cause profound metabolic and physiological changes which may affect patients' nutrient requirements. Although the optimal route of nutrient delivery is through diet, cancer patients often suffer symptoms that disrupt their food intake, including anorexia, premature satiety, altered taste and smell, and changes in bowel mobility. In particular, micronutrient deficits can slow postoperative healing, contribute to depression symptoms, and decrease immune competence. Cancer patients are generally motivated to take dietary supplements to improve responses to treatment and quality of life. The Physician's Health Study II (PHS II) randomized controlled trial reported recently that daily multivitamin supplementation significantly, albeit modestly, reduced the risk of total cancer. Although evidence of multivitamin use benefits is limited in cancer patients, taking dietary supplements with constituents in the range of the recommended daily allowance according to the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) recommendation is generally considered to be safe.