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

• DOI: 10.3177/jnsv.62.101
• Publication Date: 2016-06-02T18:04:05Z
• Authors: Tatsuya KOYAMA; Katsushi YOSHITA; Masaru SAKURAI; Katsuyuki MIURA; Yuchi NARUSE; Nagako OKUDA; Akira OKAYAMA; Jeremiah STAMLER; Hirotsugu UESHIMA; Hideaki NAKAGAWA
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Meat; Ascorbic Acid; Body Mass Index; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Asian People; Japan; Animals; Humans; Micronutrients; 2. Zero hunger; Body Weight; Malnutrition; Fishes; Middle Aged; 16. Peace & justice; 3. Good health; Calcium, Dietary; Mental Recall; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; Female; Diet, Healthy; Energy Intake

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.