Vitamin intake in Japanese women college students

Abstract

The Standard Food Tables of Japanese Foods was newly revised in 2000, and contains information on all of the vitamins except biotin. Thus, we carried out a survey of vitamin intake in Japanese women who were university seniors majoring a dietitian course. The subjects (n=33) consumed self-selected foods, and food intake was recorded by the weight method. We calculated the vitamin intake except for biotin from the food records using the Standard Food Tables of Japanese Foods. In terms of daily intake, vitamin A was 705±435 μg (mean±SD), vitamin D 6±8 μg, vitamin E 7.7±3.0 mg, vitamin K 191±156 μg, vitamin B1 0.7±0.3 mg (0.43±0.15 mg/1,000 kcal), vitamin B2 1.1±0.4 mg (0.65±0.18 mg/1,000 kcal), vitamin B6 0.9 ±0.4 mg (0.017±0.005 mg/g protein), vitamin B12 4.4±4.1 μg, niacin equivalent 23± 7 mg (14.4±4.9 mg/1,000 kcal), pantothenic acid 4.6±1.4 mg, folic acid 267±115 μg, and vitamin C 73±38 mg. All of these averages were around the Japanese Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for level "III (preferable)" of physical activity. Major vitamin A resources were vegetables; vitamin D resources, fish; vitamin E resources, fats and oils and vegetables: vitamin K resources, vegetables; vitamin B2 resources, cereals and animal meats: vitamin B2 resources, various foods; vitamin B6 resources, cereals, vegetables, fish, and animal meats; vitamin B12 resources, fish; niacin equivalent resources, fish, animal meats, and cereals: pantothenic acid resources, various foods; folic acid resources, vegetables; and vitamin C resources, vegetables and potatoes. From this survey, it was found that Japanese women college students consumed many kinds of food, and therefore, their vitamin nutrition was good as compared to the RDA values for level III of physical activity; however, their energy intake (1,622±377kcal) was lower than the RDA for level III (2,050 kcal/d). Their strength of physical activity would be level I. Therefore, in consideration of their lifestyle, their energy intakes is considered adequate. In conclusion, a problem for student lifestyle is a shortage of food intake due to lack of exercise.