Diet and Health Status of Elderly Women According to the Family Type / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the diet and health status of elderly women according to the family type. METHODS: A total of 307 elderly women participated in this study were divided into one of three groups according to their family type: residing with spouse (RSP; n=88), residing with son or daughter (RSD; n=119), and residing alone (RAL; n=100). Chi-square test was used to assess dietary habits and health status of the subjects by the family types. RESULTS: Results demonstrated significant associations between eating regular meals, person preparing meals, coffee intake, and bone fracture experience and family type. Among the three groups, the RSP and RAL groups had a higher percentage for preparing meals by themselves (p<0.001) than the RSD group. The RAL group had a lower percentage for eating regular meals (p<0.01) but a higher percentage for bone fracture experience (p<0.05) than the other groups. There were no significant differences in monthly allowance, self-estimated health status, physical activity, exercise, drinking, and dietary habits such as frequency of consumption of dairy, beans, eggs, fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that elderly women residing alone without a son, daughter, or spouse had more diet-related and health problems such as irregular meals and high bone fracture experience. These findings suggested that elderly women residing alone need more attention and support.

Dietary Intake Assessment and Biochemical Characteristics of Blood and Urine in Patients with Chronic Gastritis

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.

Effects of grape pomace on the antioxidant defense system in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbits

The effects of grape seeds extract and grape peels extract prepared from grape pomace on the activity of antioxidant enzymes, degree of lipid peroxidation in serum and liver tissue were investigated in rabbits fed on high cholesterol diet. New Zealand white rabbits were divided as follows ; 1) NOR (normal group); 2) CHOL (cholesterol group); 3) GSH (cholesterol + grape seed extract group); 4) GPE (cholesterol + grape peel extract); 5) GSP (cholesterol + grape seed powder); 6) GPP (cholesterol + grape peel powder); 7) GE (cholesterol + grape seed and peel extract); 8) GP (cholesterol + grape seed and peel powder). Eight groups of rabbits were studied for 8 weeks. At the end of the experimental period, rabbits were sacrificed and the liver tissue were removed. Then, GSH, GPx, GST, CAT and MDA in the liver were measured. In liver tissues, total glutathione contents (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) activity, which was significantly higher by grape seed extract supplementation. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was lower in the serum of rabbits fed grape seed extract or grape peel powder plus cholesterol than in the serum of rabbits fed cholesterol alone. It is therefore likely that grape seed extract prepared from grape pomace functioned as antioxidants in vivo, negating the effects of the oxidative stress induced by 1% cholesterol diet. The grape seed extract was found effective in converting the oxidized glutathione into reduced glutathione, and in removing H2O2 that is created by oxidative stress. The grape peel powder was found to have small influence on reduced glutathione content, CAT and GPX activity, but it increased GST activity in liver tissues, resulting in promoting the combination of lipid peroxide and glutathione (GSH), and further, lowering the formation of lipid peroxide in the serum. Therefore, grape pomace (grape seed extract and grape peel powder) supplementation is considered to activate the antioxidant enzyme system and prevent damage with hypercholesterolemia.

Vegetable and fruit intake and its relevance with serum osteocalcin and urinary deoxypyridinoline in Korean adults

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the daily vegetable and fruit intake status of Korean adults and to examine the relationship of vegetable and fruit intake with bone metabolism. The vegetable and fruit intake of 542 healthy male and female adults was analyzed. Then, by selecting 51 targets from the subjects, the relation of vegetable and fruit intake with serum calcium, osteocalcin and deoxypyridinoline (DPD) excretion in urine was examined. The total vegetable intake per day was 397.7 g and 333.5 g by men and women respectively for the age group of 20-29, 366.9 g and 309.2 g respectively for the age group of 30-49, 378.4 g and 325.9 g respectively for the age group of 50-64. Of vegetable varieties, leafy and stem vegetables displayed the highest intake. The order of major intake items of vegetables and fruits was found to be Chinese cabbage kimchi, onion, radish, cucumber, and welsh onion for the age group of 20-29, watermelon, Chinese cabbage kimchi, peach, potato, and onion for the age group of 30-49 and watermelon, Chinese cabbage kimchi, tomato, potato, and peach for the age group of 50-64. Of 51 targets, beta-carotene intake displayed a significantly negative correlation with serum osteocalcin. While caloric intake as well as protein, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorous, zinc and total food intake displayed a significantly negative correlation with DPD excretion in urine, tuber vegetable intake displayed a significantly positive correlation with DPD excretion in urine. In the future, a study will be necessary to accurately explain the relevance of vegetable and fruit intake with bone mineral density and bone metabolism. Also, efforts will be required to increase vegetable and fruit intake.

The Effect of Grape Seed Oil, Perilla Oil, or Corn Oil-Containing Diet on Lipid Patterns in Rats and Fatty-Acid Composition in Their Liver Tissues

The study analyzed the lipid patterns and fatty acid compositions of serum and liver tissues in groups of Sparague-Dawley rats. Some of the groups were fed with an basal diet, which contained corn oil (C), grape seed oil (GSO), or perilla oil (P), and the others were fed with a high fat diet, which had cholesterol (1%) and lard (10%) mixed with corn oil (CHF), grape seed oil (GSHF), or perilla oil (PHF). The amount of dietary intake was higher for the basal diet groups than the high fat diet groups. And diet efficiency was significantly low in the group of rats fed with the basal diet mixed with perilla oil. From the analysis of the serum lipid patterns, a significant decrease in total lipid concentration was observed in the group of rats fed on the basal diet mixed with perilla oil and the high fat diet group. The levels of triglyceride and phospholipid were significantly low in the basal diet group when perilla oil or grape seed oil was involved. The ordinary diet groups showed significantly higher in HDL-C than the high fat diet groups. There was no significant difference among the basal diet groups, whether the diet was mixed with grape seed oil, perilla oil, or corn oil. However, a significant increase in HDL-C was observed in the group of rats fed with the high fat diet containing perilla oil. For LDL-C, there was a significant difference between the high fat diet groups and the basal diet groups. LDL-C was especially low in the group of rats fed with the high fat diet to which perilla oil was added, and the grape seed-added high fat diet group showed a decreasing tendency in LDL-C. The content of total fat, total cholesterol, and triglyceride was the lowest in the group of rats fed with the perilla oil-containing basal diet, and this group was followed in order by the grape seed oil-containing diet group and corn oil-containing diet group. In the analysis of the fatty-acid composition in liver tissue, the high fat diet groups showed an increase in saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, but a decrease in mono unsaturated fatty acids when compared to the basal diet groups. The composition ratio of fatty acids varied according to which type of oil the diet contains. Our finding suggest that grape seed oil was an apparent diet effect on the fatty-acid composition.

Effects of Boron Supplementation on Lipid Profiles and Antioxidant Capacities in the Ovariectomized Rats

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of the boron supplementation on lipid profiles and antioxidant capacities in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Rats were divided into 3 groups and fed diet with intake levels of boron (0.5 ppm, 50 ppm, 100 ppm) for 4 weeks. The half of rats in each group was ovariectomized and the others were sham-operated. And rats were fed same diets for 8 weeks after operation. Feed intake and weight gain were significantly increased by increasing boron intake and higher in OVX group than those in sham-operated. FER was significantly higher in OVX group than that of sham-operated. There were no significant differences in serum lipid profiles among the groups. The contents of hepatic total lipid were significantly higher in OVX group than those of sham-operated and the lowest in high-boron group. Hepatic GST activity was significantly decreased by ovariectomy and the lowest in very high-boron group. Hepatic catalase activity was the lowest in high-boron group of OVX. Hepatic TBARS level of high-boron group was the lowest in sham-operated groups. Hepatic TBARS level induced by AAPH was significantly decreased by increasement of boron supplementation. Taken together, this results suggest that the boron supplementation have the potential role for improving lipid profiles and antioxidant capacities in OVX rats.

Effects of Acorn Supplementation on Lipid Profiles and Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in High Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats

This study was performed to investigate the effect of acorn supplementation on the lipid profile and redox antioxidant enzyme activities in obese rat. Obesity in the rats was induced by feeding diet contained 10% lard and 0.5% cholesterol for 4 week. After 4 weeks, rats were divided into the following 5 groups; high fat diet (Control), high fat diet plus 10% Acorn powder (AP10%), high fat diet plus 20% Acorn powder (AP20%), high fat diet plus 0.2% Acorn extract (AE0.2%), high fat diet plus 0.5% Acorn extract (AE0.5%). Total food intake and food efficiency ratio (FER) was not significantly different by acorn powder and extract supplementation. But, body weight was decreased by 20% acorn powder. Acorn powder and extract supplementation for 4 weeks tend to decrease total cholesterol and triglyceride level on the serum and hepatic tissue. There was no significant difference in hepatic glutathione (GSH) content among all the groups. The hepatic GST activity in acorn supplemented groups was lower than that of control. Glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities were higher in acorn supplemented groups than that of control. Hepatic TBARS levels of experimental groups were also significantly lower than that of control group. Our finding suggest that acorn powders and extract might have potential role for improving lipid profiles and antioxidant enzyme activities in obese rats.