Relationship of Consumption of Meals Including Grain, Fish and Meat, and Vegetable Dishes to the Prevention of Nutrient Deficiency: The INTERMAP Toyama Study

J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2016;62(2):101-7. doi: 10.3177/jnsv.62.101.

Abstract

A Japanese-style diet consists of meals that include grain (shushoku), fish and meat (shusai), and vegetable dishes (fukusai). Little is known about the association of such meals (designated well-balanced meals hereafter) with nutrient intake. We therefore examined the frequency of well-balanced meals required to prevent nutrient deficiency. Participants were Japanese people, ages 40 to 59 y, from Toyama, recruited for INTERMAP, in an international population-based study. Each person provided 4 in-depth 24-h dietary recalls (149 men, 150 women). The prevalence of risk ratios of not meeting the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2015) was calculated. Well-balanced diets were assessed by the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top. We counted the frequencies of meals in which participants consumed 1.0 or more servings of all 3 dishes categories. We divided the frequency of consumption of well-balanced meals into the following 4 groups: <1.00 time/d, 1.00-1.49 times/d, 1.50-1.74 times/d, and ≥1.75 times/d. Compared with participants in the highest frequency group for well-balanced meals, those who consumed well-balanced meals less than once a day had a higher risk of not meeting the adequate intake for potassium and the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin A. Those who consumed well-balanced meals on average less than 1.50 times per day had a higher risk of not meeting the recommended dietary allowance for calcium and vitamin C. Our results suggest that individuals should on average consume well-balanced meals more than 1.5 times per day to prevent calcium and vitamin C deficiencies.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Ascorbic Acid / administration & dosage
  • Ascorbic Acid / blood
  • Ascorbic Acid Deficiency / prevention & control
  • Asian People
  • Body Mass Index
  • Body Weight
  • Calcium, Dietary / administration & dosage
  • Calcium, Dietary / blood
  • Diet, Healthy*
  • Energy Intake
  • Female
  • Fishes
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Male
  • Malnutrition / prevention & control*
  • Meat
  • Mental Recall
  • Micronutrients / administration & dosage
  • Micronutrients / blood
  • Micronutrients / deficiency
  • Middle Aged
  • Nutrition Assessment
  • Recommended Dietary Allowances
  • Seafood
  • Vegetables
  • Vitamin A / administration & dosage
  • Vitamin A / blood
  • Vitamin A Deficiency / prevention & control
  • Whole Grains

Substances

  • Calcium, Dietary
  • Micronutrients
  • Vitamin A
  • Ascorbic Acid