Korean J Community Nutr KJCN Korean Journal of Community Nutrition 1226-0983 The Korean Society of Community Nutrition 10.5720/kjcn.2012.17.1.14 Original Article Vitamin A Intakes and Food Sources of Vitamin A in Female University Students Yeon Jee-Young Bae Yun-Jung 1 Department of Food and Nutrition, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, Korea. Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Hanbuk University, Gyeonggi, Korea. Corresponding author: Yun Jung Bae, Hanbuk University, 233-1 Sangpae-dong, Dongducheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 483-120, Korea. Tel: (031) 860-1445, Fax: (031) 860-1449, byj@hanbuk.ac.kr 02 2012 29 02 2012 17 1 14 25 10 11 2011 19 01 2012 30 01 2012 Copyright © 2012 The Korean Society of Community Nutrition 2012

The purpose of this study was to estimate the daily intake of vitamin A in Korean female university students. Vitamin A intake was estimated using an inconsecutive 3-day dietary intake survey from 481 young women. Vitamin A intake values were calculated based on the data in USDA database. Average age, height, and weight of the subjects were 20.05 years, 162.13 cm and 54.38 kg, respectively. The subject's average intake of energy was 1645.67 kcal. The mean vitamin A, retinol and β carotene intakes were 908.35 ± 863.18 ug retinol equivalent/day, 199.19 ± 166.00 ug/day and 3872.59 ± 4972.17 ug/day, respectively. The 21.83% of the subjects consumed less than the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for vitamin A. And subjects consumed 141.69% of the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for vitamin A. Food groups consumed with high vitamin A content in our subjects included vegetables (423.96 ug RE/day), potato and starches (213.64 ug RE/day), cereals (62.60 ug RE/day), eggs (55.17 ug RE/day) and milks (53.45 ug RE/day). The major food sources of vitamin A were sweet potato, carrot, spinach, egg, and cereal, and the top 30 foods provided 89.57% of total vitamin A. Also animal-derived food provided 9.65% of the vitamin A intake from the top 30 foods. In conclusion, judging from RNI, the vitamin A intake of the Korean female university students in this study was generally adequate. The result of our study may be used as a basis for follow-up studies of vitamin A intake like assessment of vitamin A nutritional status or evaluation of carotenoid food sources in Korean young women.

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Anthropometric measurements of the subjects

1) Mean ± SD

Nutrient intakes of the subjects

1) Recommended Nutrient Intake, 2) Estimated Average Requirement, 3) Mean ± SD

Evaluation of vitamin A intake by dietary reference intake (DRI)

1) Tolerable Upper Intake Level, 2) Recommended Nutrient Intake, 3) %

Retinol, carotenoids, and vitamin A intakes of the subjects

1) ug retinol equivalent, 2) ug retinol activity equivalent, 3) Mean ± SD

Daily vitamin A intake from each food group of subjects

1) Mean ± SD

Major dietary sources of vitamin A (ug RE) consumed by the subjects

Major dietary sources of α carotene consumed by the subjects

Major dietary sources of β carotene consumed by the subjects

Major dietary sources of β cryptoxanthin consumed by the subjects

Major dietary sources of lycopene consumed by the subjects

Major dietary sources of lutein/zeaxanthin consumed by the subjects