| Abstract: | The purpose of this study was to understand how various food groups contribute to dietary intakes of vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, vitamin C, and vitamin E in the Taiwanese diet. Data on 24-hour recall were collected from 3,915 sampled adults aged 19 to 64 years obtained from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT) during the period of 1993 to 1996. The results show that the main contributing food groups to vitamin A were vegetables, fruits, cereals, grains, tubers, roots, and other protein-rich foods (including eggs and their products, dairy products, and soybean and its products) in that order. The primary sources of vitamin B1 were meat, cereals, grains, tubers, roots, and other protein-rich foods. The main providers of vitamin B2 were other protein-rich foods, vegetables, and meat. The main contributors of niacin were cereals, grains, tubers, roots, meat, and seafood. Sources of vitamin C were mainly vegetables, fruits, refreshments, and snacks. Fats and oils were the main food sources of vitamin E followed by vegetables, other protein-rich foods, cereals, grains, tubers, and roots. Comparing the results of this survey with the first National Nutrition Survey in 1980-1981, we found that the main contributing food groups to vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, and vitamin E have not changed much. Sweetened crushed ice and sugary drinks provided a notable dietary source of vitamin C in this study. If we use the nutrient density of each food group computed from the survey data to estimate the intake level of the diet recommended by the Taiwan Daily Dietary Guidelines, amounts of vitamin A and C are higher than the RDNA level for adults. Vitamin B, exceeds the level of RDNA for light- and middle-exertion workers but not for heavy- and extreme-exertion workers. Amounts of vitamins B2 and E are adequate. |
