“The primary objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence of dietary supplement intake and the types of dietary supplements used by a sample of college students, as well as to investigate associations between supplement intake and blood biomarkers,” wrote researchers from nutrition and health at the University of North Florida, who expected to find effects on both behaviors and biomarkers.
Published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements, the cross-sectional study was funded by a faculty development grant from the University of North Florida.
Dietary supplements and lifestyle behaviors.
The study references an existing body of research that has explored dietary supplement intake and lifestyle factors in college student populations. He points to the growth of the dietary supplement market and, in particular, the growing popularity of sports nutrition supplements within that market.
“Although the categories of dietary supplements appear to differ between studies, the majority of dietary supplements consumed are classified as sports supplements, such as protein supplements, sports bars/gels, amino acids, electrolytes, and vitamin/mineral supplements, compared to supplements at herbal or other types of supplements.” supplements,” the study noted.
For the purposes of this research, dietary supplements were defined as single-nutrient supplements and sports nutrition supplements, and then classified into four categories: protein, herbal, sports nutrition, and other (such as joint supplements, melatonin, acid alpha lipoic acid and coconut oil). . Positive lifestyle behaviors related to dietary supplementation included physical activity, breakfast consumption, and fruit and vegetable intake, assessed through a questionnaire.
“A unique strength of the present study was the assessment of blood biomarkers of health in combination with assessment of diet and physical activity,” the researchers proposed.
study details
A total of 98 college students recruited on campus participated in the study. Of these, 70% were women and 87% identified as non-Hispanic, a sample size and group composition that the researchers noted as a potential limitation.
Participants completed questionnaires about diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle habits, underwent body composition assessments, and reported dietary supplement intake. Blood samples were collected and statistical analysis was performed.
“We found that 91% of surveyed participants consumed at least one dietary supplement in the past six months, and 30% of participants took five or more,” the study stated.
In addition, 50% of participants reported taking at least one protein supplement, 62% at least one sports nutrition supplement, 18% at least one herbal supplement, and 28% at least one other supplement once a week.
Comparing the impacts of supplement intake, analysis of blood biomarkers found no difference in levels of insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), clinical markers associated with blood glucose levels and lipid synthesis, body fat and physical activity, and liver function and toxicity, respectively. The researchers also found no effect of supplementation on diet quality as assessed through the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015) measures.
“Although there were no differences in the HEI-2015 score between groups, those who consumed five or more supplements met a higher percentage of recommended fruit intake, performed aerobic exercise longer, and had a lower percentage of body fat compared to participants who consumed two or fewer supplements at least once a week,” the study found.
The researchers suggest that future studies should employ a mixed methodology to examine the reasons college students consume dietary supplements and to assess the perceived and direct health benefits associated with consumption.
Source: Journal of Dietary Supplements
“Dietary supplement intake is associated with healthier lifestyle behaviors in college students attending a regional university in the southeast: a cross-sectional study”
doi: 10.1080/19390211.2022.2134532
Authors: Andrea Y. Arikawa et al.
Source: news.google.com