© Borgis - New Medicine 2/2004, s. 45-47
Alicja Ostrowska, Anna Ziółkowska, Longina Kłosiewicz-Latoszek
Assessment of mineral elements in Warsaw Medical Students´ daily food rations
Department of Hygiene, Institute of Social Medicine Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
Head of Department: Prof. Longina Kłosiewicz-Latoszek MD, PhD
Summary
Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the intake of chosen minerals in medical students´ daily food rations.
Material and method. The study was performed among 233 medical faculty students (163 females and 70 males). Food intake data of each person based on three-day dietary recall. Mean daily intake was calculate using the computer program FOOD 3.0 and compared with Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for 19-25 year old population. The daily intake of calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganum, kalium and natrium was assessed.
Results. The results showed the low intake of calcium in all students and iron and copper in females. The excessive intake of phosphorus in both groups of sex and natrium in males was observed.
Conclusion. The results evidence the need of improvement the medical students´ diets.
INTRODUCTION
An adequate intake of energy and nutrients, as well vitamins and mineral elements, is necessary for normal developement and function of the organism (1, 2). However, bad eating habits have been observed and reported in all age groups (3, 4, 5); the most common is an excess of energy and fat, particulary of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. Vitamin intake may also differ from recommended dietary allowances (RDA), which is important in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer (6, 7). Regarding the minerals, a low calcium and iron intake and a high natrium and phosphorus consumption have been frequently observed (3, 5).
The aim of this study was to assess the intake of selected minerals: calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, kalium, natrium, in daily food rations of medical students.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study was performed in 2001/2002; it included 223 fourth-year medical faculty students of Warsaw Medical University (163 females and 70 males), aged 22-24.
Food intake was assessed using three-day dietary recall. Photoalbums of food products and meals were used to estimate the size of portions (8). Mean daily intake was calculated using the FOOD 3.0 computer program and compared with the RDAs for a population aged 19-25 years (1).
Statistical analysis was performed using T-Student test. Significant difference levels were assigned at p<0,05.
RESULTS
The assessment of mineral daily intake, including a comparison with the RDAs, is presented in Table 1 and 2.
Table 1. Daily intake of minerals in women (n=163).
| Minerals (mg) | Mean intake (x ? SD) | RDA | % RDA | % of diets with intake level < 90% RDA |
Calcium
Phosphorus
Magnesium
Iron
Zinc
Copper
Manganese
Kalium | 807 ? 375
1335 ? 473
320 ?119
11.7 ? 4.1
10.2 ? 3.5
1.27 ? 0.48
5.58 ? 2.37
3366 ? 1081 | 1100
800
280
14
10
2.0
2.5-5.0
3500 | 73.4
166.9
114.3
83.6
102
63.5
111.6
96.2 | 77.9
0.0
28.8
68.7
43.6
90.2
0.7
49.1 |
| Natrium | 2223 ? 1201 | Ł 2350 | 94.6 | 28.2* |
* over 2350 mg/24h
Table 2. Daily intake of minerals in men (n=70).
| Minerals (mg) | Mean intake (x ? SD) | RDA | % RDA | % of diets with intake level < 90% RDA |
Calcium
Phosphorus
Magnesium
Iron
Zinc
Copper
Manganese
Kalium | 936 ? 454
1666 ? 473
374 ?119
14.7 ? 6.4
13.4 ? 5.1
1.49 ? 0.87
5.55 ? 2.24
3806 ? 1370 | 1100
800
350
11
14
2.0
2.5-5.0
3500 | 85.1
208.3
106.9
133.6
95.7
74.5
111.0
108.7 | 57.1
1.4
41.4
17.1
54.3
35.6
10
32.9 |
| Natrium | 3173 ? 1656 | Ł 2350 | 94.6 | 68.6* |
* over 2350 mg/24h
According to the RDAs, the students´ diets were deficient in calcium. In women, mean daily intake of this mineral amounted 73.4% of the RDA level, in men 85.1%. A low calcium intake (below 90% of the RDA) was found in 77.9% females and 57.1% males. Women´s diet was also deficient in iron (mean daily intake was 83.6% of the RDA). Moreover, copper deficiency was observed in both study groups.
The level of phosphorus appeared the most excessive intake, mainly in men (mean daily consumption amounted 208% of the RDAs). The calcium/phosphorus ratio was 0.6 in women and 0.56 in men.
Natrium was also in excess in men. About 68.6% of them consumed above 2350 mg of natrium daily (equivalent of 6 g NaCl). In all students mean daily intake of other mineral elements was adequate to dietary requirements.
The differences in the mean daily intake of analyzed minerals found between men and women were statistically significant (p<0,05), except for the value of manganese.
Our data are in agreement with other studies of dietary habits of university students (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15). A low intake of calcium and a high consumption of phosphorus was very often observed. This situation may lead to health disorders such as impaired body growth and insufficient peak bone mass (16, 17, 18). In our study the phosphorus level in the assessed food rations was very high, mainly in men (over 200% of the RDAs). It decreased the calcium/phosphorus ratio and might have caused changes in calcium metabolism (impaired calcium absorption, parathyroid gland stimulation, increased bone resorption). Bone demineralization may also be due to a low calcium intake (16, 17, 18). It should be emphasized, that a decreased calcium/ phosphorus ratio has been found to prove that bad eating habits had their onset in childhood (19, 20, 21). Similar abnormalities have also been observed in older age groups, both in healthy individuals and those with health disorders (3, 5, 22, 23, 24). The calcium/phosphorus ratio reported in these studies ranged from 0.45 to 0.63.
Another important deficiency observed in our study and also described by other authors was a low iron intake in women (11, 13, 14), which might have increased the risk of anemia. Our study also showed a low intake of cooper (men and women) and zinc (men); similar results were obtained in studies of pupils, teenagers and adults (3, 5, 14, 20).
In different age groups of Polish population, salt intake exceeded the RDAs (3, 5, 14, 20). In our study this was confirmed only in men. Due to the fact, that a high salt consumption increases the risk of hypertension, it has become an important nutritional problem (25).
CONCLUSION
1. A mean daily intake of minerals in medical students was unadequate to the dietary requirements. A low intake of calcium and iron was mainly observed, which might increase the risk of osteoporosis and anemia.
2. A higher natrium consumption (mostly in men) may induce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
3. Results of our study have confirmed the need of nutritional education among university students to improve their dietary habits.
Piśmiennictwo
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