BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to investigate the dietary taurine intake, nutrients intake, dietary habits and life stress by depression in Korean female college students.MethodsIn this study, research data were collected in March 2009 and 65 patients with depression and 65 controls without depression participated. The CES-D (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression) scale was used for depression measure and controls were matched for age. A 3-day recall method was used for dietary assessment (2 weekdays and 1 weekend day).ResultsAverage height, weight and body mass index (BMI) were 161.3±0.5cm, 55.3±1.0kg and 21.2±0.4kg/m2 for depression patients and those of control group were 161.4±0.7cm, 53.1±0.8kg and 20.3±0.2kg/m2, respectively. Average dietary taurine intakes of depression patients and control group were 89.1 and 88.0 mg/day, respectively. There was no significant difference in dietary taurine intake between depression patients and control group. The average intakes of vitamin A (p<0.05), β-carotene (p<0.01), vitamin C (p<0.05), folic acid (p<0.05) and fiber (p<0.05) of depression patients were significantly lower compared to control group. The average total dietary habit score of depression patients (47.2) was significantly lower than that of control group (51.3) (p<0.01). The average dietary habit scores of “eating meals at regular times” (p<0.05), “eating adequate amount of meals” (p<0.05), “having meals with diverse foods” (p<0.05), “avoiding eating spicy foods” (p<0.01) and “eating protein foods such as meat, fish, eggs, beans more than 2 times a day” (p<0.05) were significantly lower in depression patients compare to control group. The average scores of total life stress (p<0.001) and all stress categories of depression patients were significantly higher than those of control group except faculty problem score.ConclusionsThese results show that depression patients have poor dietary habits and unbalanced nutrition status. Also depression patients have higher life stress score.Therefore, continuous nutrition education and counselling for good dietary habits and balanced nutrition status are needed to prevent depression in Korean college students.

BackgroundNelumbo nucifera, known as sacred lotus, is a well-known medicinal plant and this lotus root is commonly used as food compared to different parts of this plant. This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant and hepatic protective effects of lotus root hot water extract with taurine supplementation in high fat diet-induced obese rats.MethodsThirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats (4-week-old) were randomly divided into four groups (n=8) for 6 weeks (normal diet, N group; high fat diet, HF group; high fat diet + lotus root hot water extract, HFR group; high fat diet + lotus root hot water extract + taurine, HFRT group). Lotus root hot water extract was orally administrated (400mg/kg/day) to HFR and HFRT groups and the same amount of distilled water was orally administered to N and HF groups. Taurine was supplemented by dissolving in feed water (3% w/v).ResultsThe activities of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamate pyruvate transaminase in serum were lower in HFR and HFRT groups compared to HF group. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance contents in all groups fed a high fat diet were higher compared to N group. The activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes were higher in HFR and HFRT groups compared to HF group.ConclusionsThese results suggest that lotus root hot water extract with taurine supplementation shows antioxidant and hepatic protective effects in high fat diet-induced obese rats.

Osteomalacia is a bone disease more commonly seen and with greater clinical 'implications in North China than elsewhere (1, 2, 3). The principal cause of the skeletal demineralization resides in vitamin D deficiency, a combination of its lack in the diet and exclusion of sunlight. By reason of such deficiency, calcium given by mouth fails to be absorbed. Poor intestinal absorption rather than excessive elimination is incriminated because it has been demonstrated by the studies of Hannon et al. (4) that the endogenous calcium metabolism in patients with osteomalacia on low intake is within normal limits and that calcium administered parenterally is largely retained. Under such circumstances while the endogenous destructive activity in the bones may not be excessive, the reparative process is very much interfered with through defective intestinal absorption so that skeletal decalcification inevitably ensues. The limited intake of calcium in common Chinese dietaries (5), and periods of mineral stress incident to pregnancy and lactation are some of the contributing factors that enter into the pathogenesis of osteomalacia.Studies of the effect of vitamin D in the treatment of osteomalacia (4, 6) demonstrate the remarkable'conserving action of vitamin D on calcium and phosphorus metabolism. As a result of its administration, intestinal absorption is promoted and endogenous elimination is decreased so that large quantities of calcium and phosphorus are available for deposition in the bones. The actual amount of calcium and phosphorus retained depends upon the level and ratio of intake of these elements. It has been shown in two patients with osteomalacia undergoing reparation initiated by vitamin D (7) that calcium retention varied directly with calcium intake while phosphorus retention was limited by both calcium and phosphorus intake. Fecal calcium likewise varied directly with calcium intake while fecal phosphorus was parallel with both calcium and phosphorus intake. When calcium supply is limited in relation to phosphorus (low Ca: P ratio) practically all the calcium absorbed is deposited, none appearing in the urine. On the other hand, when phosphorus supply is short compared with calcium (high Ca: P ratio), all the available phosphorus is retained and urinary phosphorus vanishes. Conservation of excretion through the urinary tract and efficient absorption through the intestinal canal account for the markedly positive balances in osteomalacia when reparation is brought about under the influence of vitamin D.Similar observations on the effects of variations of the levels and ratios of calcium to phosphorus intake on their serum levels, paths of excretion and balances have been made on another patient with healing osteomalacia. But in contrast to the previous patients who received vitamin D only prior to the observations, the present subject was given vitamin D throughout the entire study so as to obviate any uncertainty in ascribing the metabolic results obtained to vitamin D action. Moreover, attempt was made in ...

BackgroundConstipation is a common gastrointestinal symptom in Korea as well as in Western countries. This study was performed to investigate the dietary taurine intake, nutrient status, and life stress of functional constipation (FC) patients in Korean male college students.MethodsResearch data were collected in 2008 and a total of 104 male students (52 with FC patients and 52 healthy controls without FC) were included. FC patients were defined by the codes for the RomeⅡ Modular Questionnaire and healthy controls without FC were matched for age, height, weight and BMI. A self-administered life stress score and 3-day recall method were used to assess life stress level and dietary intake, respectively.ResultsThe averages of age, height, weight, body fat percentage and body mass index (BMI) of male students were 23.4 years, 174.1 cm, 71.9 kg, 19.0 % and 23.7 kg/m2, respectively. Average intake of dietary taurine was 126.8 mg/day in FC patients and 105.1 mg/day in control group. The average intake of total calorie (p<0.05), plant protein (p<0.01), plant fat (p<0.001), carbohydrate (p<0.05), plant calcium (p<0.05) of FC patients were significantly higher compared to control group. The average total life stress score (p<0.01), economy problem score (p<0.05), future problem score (p<0.05) and value problem score (p<0.05) of FC patients were significantly higher compared to control group.ConclusionsThese results may suggest that FC patients show a higher life stress score and intake of some nutrient such as total calorie, plant protein, plant fat, carbohydrate and plant calcium in Korean male college students. Therefore, a further large-scale study is needed about correlation between life stress and nutrients intake including dietary taurine.

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