Reduced carbohydrate intake in past 10 years in two rural areas in Japan

Two farming populations participated in the present nutritional survey. One group consisted of rice producing farmers in Miyagi prefecture in north‐eastern Japan, and the other group was farmers in Okinawa prefecture in southern Japan where agricultural activity focuses on sugar cane and horticulture. The collection of 24‐hr total food duplicates was carried out in winter seasons, and was repeated twice with the first study in 1977–1981, and the second one in 1991–1992. In total, 154 and 128 food duplicates were collected for nutritional comparisons between the two prefectures at two different times. There was a significant reduction in intake of carbohydrate especially rice in Miyagi during this 10 year period. In Okinawa in contrast, the reduction in intake of carbohydrate and rice was positive but less remarkable. Thus, the rice consumption in 1990 was almost comparable between the rice producing prefecture and the prefecture that imports rice from other prefectures. Such reduction was associated with the relative decrease of cereals as the major protein source in Japanese daily food.

Key words:

• carbohydrate
• farmers
• Japanese food
• protein
• rural area