A Study on Temple Food Intake and Health

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of temple food intake on health improvement. The survey was conducted from September to October 2013. The subjects in this study were 46 adults who participated in short-term ‘Temple Stay’ program. Every meal was prepared according to prearranged temple food menu, and it was provided to subjects for 4 weeks. Dietary intake, anthropometric measurements and biochemical parameter were measured and nutritional & health status were analyzed to find the effect of the program. Nutrients content of the temple food was sufficient to dietary reference intake while content of fat, fiber, vitamin A and calcium from the meal was significantly higher than the subjects’ usual diet. Mean body weight, BMI and blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) related with obesity and hypertension decreased after the program. The index referring to liver function and cardiovascular disease risk such as serum ALT, γ-GTP, TG and LDL decreased while HDL increased thereby showing positive BReffect. The above results anticipate that temple foods with an affirmative effect in improving health status have a potential benefit that can be applied to general food service. Further detailed study might provide information in developing healthy diet for a corresponding clinical problem.