title: Vitamin E inadequacy observed in a group of 2- to 6-year-old children living in Kwangju, Republic of Korea.
abstract: Studies on the vitamin E status of Korean children are lacking. Dietary intakes and plasma concentrations of tocopherols of healthy 2- to 6-year-olds living in Kwangju, Republic of Korea, were determined and their vitamin E status evaluated. Subjects included 66 girls and 65 boys, with 21-32 subjects per age group. Subjects' intakes were recorded by a trained interviewer for foods eaten at preschool/kindergarten; otherwise, three consecutive 24-hour food recalls were obtained from parents. Plasma tocopherol concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Intakes of energy and total monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats were significantly different (p < 0.05) among age groups, not gender, with 2- and 3-year-olds having lower intakes. Alpha- and gamma-tocopherol intakes were similar by age and gender. Sixty-seven percent consumed less than the Korean Adequate Intakes for vitamin E, and 77% had Alpha-tocopherol intakes less than USA/Canadian Estimated Average Requirements. Plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations, but not gamma-tocopherol, were significantly higher (p < 0.05) for 2-year-olds. Two-thirds of subjects had plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations less than 12 micromol/L, which is indicative of vitamin E inadequacy in adults; guidelines for children do not exist. Many of the Korean children had inadequate intakes and likely inadequate plasma concentrations of vitamin E.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0806, USA.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Giraud
authors.forename: Young-Nam
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Youn-Ok
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Judy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Driskell
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods; D015930:Diet Records; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008055:Lipids; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol