Serum Nutritional Components and Dietary Food Intake of People Living in a Remote Hilly Village in Eastern Nepal

Abstract

Serum nutritional components and food intake were examined in Nepalese (127 males and 163 females aged 4 to 72 years) living in a remote hilly village (area A and B, area A is located at a relatively lower altitude and is warmer) in the eastern region of Nepal. Mean values of height and weight for the groups covering ages 4 to 19 of both sexes and in both areas increased with age. The mean BMI value for each age group was mostly under 22, and the BMI correlated with age, and with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The mean values of serum components were about the same levels in both sexes. Mean values of triglyceride (TG) of over 150 mg/dl were found in males 20–50 years old and in females over 50 years old in area A, and generally the mean values of TG of the subjects tended to be in the higher range of normal. The main foods consumed in both areas were rice, maize, potatoes, pulses, milk and dairy products, and vegetables, with a difference in the amounts consumed. Milk and dairy products were almost the sole food source of animal origin. The rather higher serum TG levels of the subjects may be due to large amounts of consumption of cereals containing a lot of carbohydrate, which transformed into lipids in the metabolic pathway. The present food intake study revealed that the amounts of food consumed were not adequate resulting in a latent and chronic deficiency of nutrients, especially such as calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and fat-soluble vitamins. These results suggest that improvement of the nutritional status is needed in this people group.