Food intake, serum lipids and amino acids of school children in agricultural communities in Japan

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 53; no. 3; pp. 207 - 210
• Main Authors: FUKUSHIMA, T, HOJO, N, ISOBE, A, GAO, T, SHIWAKU, K, YAMANE, Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing 01.03.1999; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adolescent; Agrarian society; Agriculture; Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Amino acids; Amino Acids - blood; Animals; Anthropometry; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Chain branching; Child; Children; Children & youth; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; Coronary artery disease; Correlation; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Environment. Living conditions; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - blood; Fatty Acids, Omega-6; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - blood; Female; Fishes; Food intake; Girls; Glycine max; Heart diseases; Humans; Ischemia; Japan; Lipids; Lipids - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Milk; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Rural Population; Serum lipids; Soybeans; Traditional foods; Asia; Japan; Human; Cholesterolemia; Sex; Soybean; Fatty acids; Epidemiology; Blood plasma; Vertebrata; Food intake; Pisces; Adolescent; Child; Comparative study; Milk
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600702

To investigate the correlation among serum lipids, amino acids and diet of children in Japan where the mortality of ischemic heart disease is still very low. Cross-sectional study. Two towns in Shimane prefecture, typical mountainous agricultural communities in the western part of the mainland of Japan. 514 children (10-15 y) in the communities were recruited. The mean cholesterol levels ranged from 3.9 to 4.4 mmol/l for boys and from 4.3 to 4.5 mmol/l for girls, and serum cholesterol level fell with age in boys. Serum cholesterol level of girls rose once between 11 and 13 y and fell gradually. Fish intake was positively correlated with serum omega-3 series fatty acids. Milk intake was negatively and soybean intake was positively correlated with omega-3/omega-6 series fatty acids ratio. Serum branched-chain amino acids were correlated negatively with serum polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio. Serum cholesterol level of children in agricultural communities in Japan has risen, and is probably affected by the change of food intake. Promoting the intake of soybean and fish, which are traditional Japanese foods, will be important in preventing atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease. Attention should be paid to the relationship between branched-chain amino acids level in blood and fatty acids metabolism to verify the mechanism of the progress of atherosclerosis.