The Effects of Korean DASH Diet Education Program on Oxidative Stress, Antioxidant Capacity, and Serum Homocysteine Level among Elderly Korean Women

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Korean Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) education program on oxidative stress, antioxidant capacity, and serum homocysteine (Hcy) level in elderly Korean women. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study employing non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The DASH group (n=27) underwent the DASH education program for 12 weeks, whereas the control group (n=21) was provided one education session. The survey was conducted before and after the intervention period. RESULTS: In DASH group, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intakes significantly increased after the intervention as compared to prior to the intervention. No significant differences were found in the control group. After the intervention, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and Hcy levels significantly decreased in the DASH group but not in the control group. CONCLUSION: The DASH education program was effective in reducing oxidative stress and Hcy levels in elderly Korean women.

Energy Value of Breakfast and Its Relation to Total Daily Nutrient Intake and serum Lipid in Korean Urban Adults / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to assess the energy value of breakfast and its relation to total daily nutrient intake and serum lipid. Dietary intakes were evaluated through the 3-day dietary recalls(interview for 1day and self-report for 2 days) from 333 Korean urban adults aged 20-49 year. Serum lipids in fasting blood samples were measured form 98 of those 333 adults. Low energy breakfast(<15% of daily energy intake) was consumed by 22.6% of males and 18.5% of females. 59.4 of males and 43.3% of females consumed a breakfast of average energy intake(15-25% daily energy intake) ; and 18.1 of males and 38.2% of females consumed a significant contribution to a total daily nutrient intake. The daily nutrient intake except crude fiber and vitamin A, B, B, and C in males and except vitamin C in females significantly increased as the energy value of breakfast increased. The differences in energy and nutrient intakes at breakfast were not made up for by other meals. To make matters worse, the satisfactory-energy breakfast group took more energy at dinner compared with the low-energy and average-energy breakfast group took more energy at dinner compared with the low-energy and average-energy breakfast groups in females. Among serum lipid parameters, TG was negatively correlated with energy provided at breakfast, and total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol had a negative correlation with energy and carbohydrates provided at breakfast in males. For females TG was positively correlated with the ratio of carbohydrates to energy at breakfast but negatively correlated with the ratio of fat to energy at breakfast. These results suggest that satisfactory energy intakes at breakfast have positive effects on the adequacy of daily nutrient intake and may positively affect the serum lipid status.

Dietary Intakes and Psychological Stress Pregnant Women in Taejon in Relation to Neonatal Birth Weigh / 대한지역사회영양학회지

Thin study measured dietary intakes in late pregnancy and psychological stress during the period of gestation and examined the roles of diet and psychological stress in pregnancy weight gain and infant birth weight. Study subjects were 98 pregnant women who delivered infants at 2 general hospitals in Taejon city. Mean weight gain during pregnancy was 14.6+/-4.89Kg. Mean infant birth weight was 3.39+/-0.62kg in males and 3.28+/-0.43Kg in females. Mean energy and protein intake levels were adequate, but mean iron and calcium intakes were only 61.2+/-14.9% and 79.1+/-18.2% of RDA, respectively. Fat intake which constitutes 22.0+/-4.3% of total energy intake, and animal protein intake which constitutes 22.0+/-4.3% of total energy intake, and animal protein intake which constitutes 53.7% of total protein intake were moderately high. Though mean energy, fat, animal protein, and meat protein intakes in the low psychological stress group were higher than those in the middle or high stress group, psychological stress did not significantly affect pregnancy weight gain and infant birth weight. High intakes of nutrients except for dairy protein, iron, and niacin were associated with higher pregnancy weight gain and high intakes of protein and meat protein were associated with higher infant birth weight. It is concluded that dietary intakes during pregnancy has effects on pregnancy weight gain and infant birth weight, and psychological stress has no direct effect on them.