Dietary taurine and nutrient intake and the perception about health functional food in Korean college students

초록

Health functional food (HFF) is the food that can help to maintain or improve health and taurine has been reported to possess various pharmacological activities, such as antiobesity, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate dietary taurine and nutrient intake and perception about health functional food in Korean college students. Data were collected from 251 college students (162 males and 89 females) in Incheon, Korea. This study was conducted using self-reported questionnaires, including consumption and perception about HFF. A 3-day recall method was used for analyzing dietary taurine and nutrient intake. The percentage of HFF consumption was 40.1% in males and 48.3% in females. In males, average dietary taurine intake of HFF non-consumers was significantly higher, compared to HFF consumers (p<0.01). In females, average dietary Vit B2 intake of HFF consumers was significantly higher, compared to HFF non-consumers (p<0.05). The most of subjects wanted the specialty store and specialized consultant of HFF. The main reason for specialty store of HFF was to buy the reliable product (male 61.9% and female 70.8%) and that for specialized consultant of HFF was to receive the correct information of the product (male 54.3% and female 50.8%). The functions of HFF needed by subjects were control of body fat, enhancement of immunity, and health of the gut, in that order. These results suggest the need for specialty store and specialized consultant of HFF and the development of the HFF contained taurine associated with control of body fat for Korean college students.