Choline Contents of Korean Common Foods

Choline is important for normal membrane function, acetylcholine synthesis and methyl group metabolism. In this study, 185 food items customarily eaten by Koreans were selected from the data of the 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey and analyzed on the total choline content of the foods using enzymatic method of choline oxidase. Foods with high choline concentration (mg/100 g) were listed in sequence of quail egg (476.04 mg), dried squid (452.42 mg), beef liver (427.16 mg), pork liver (424.92 mg), tuna canned in oil (414.44 mg), boiled and dried anchovy (381.30 mg), dried Alaskan pollack (378.88 mg), chicken egg (309.88 mg), chicken liver (259.38 mg), soybean (238.62 mg), French bread with garlic (193.18 mg) and barley (183.73 mg). From this result, it is shown that dried fishes, prepared fishes, livers, eggs, pulses and cereals might be categorized as high choline food. Citron tea and green tea showed low choline content below 1 mg. Vegetables and fruits were also categorized into low choline food. No choline was detected in red pepper powder, beer, soju, soybean oil and corn oil out of foods analyzed in this study. Further study is required for analytic procedure of the foods of which results are inconsistent with USDA's data such as rice and wheat flour.

Comparison of Mineral and Vitamin Intakes According to the Stage of Change in Fruit and Vegetable Intake for Elementary School Students in Chungnam Province

The purpose of this study was to compare the mineral and vitamin intake according to the stage of change in fruit and vegetable intake. The subjects consisted of 256 students, 122 males and 134 females, who are fourth, fifth and sixth grade in an elementary school located in Yeongi-Gun, Chungnam province. The dietary intake was examined by 24 hr dietary recall for 1 day and by food record for 2 days from April 19 to May 01, 2007. Stage of change of intake of fruits and vegetables of the students was categorized into three groups: precontemplation, contemplation and preparation, and action. The subjects at the stage of action took kimchi and vegetables more frequently, and also took more vitamin C as well. But the subjects at other two stages did not show any difference in the intake of any food group and nutrients. Percentage of the male subjects who took less than EAR did not show any significant difference by stage of change in all the nutrients. However, there was gradual decrease in the percentage of female taking less than EAR of vitamin C and vitamin B2. The result concludes that vitamin C intake significantly increase gradually as the stages of behavioral change of fruit and vegetable intake proceed although almost all vitamins and minerals tended to increase.