Search

Recently, taurine-containing jellies have been sold in Korea, which provides a source of dietary taurine suspended in jelly and considered as a snack. This study was conducted to investigate factors (recognition, consumer preference, and improvement points) that potentially increase the willingness of consumers (Korean college students) to purchase the taurine-containing product. A total of 561 subjects were compared according to gender (260 male and 301 female college students) and degree of interest in taurine-containing jelly (276 subjects interest group and 285 subjects in indifferent group). Data were collected using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire and a consumer preference evaluation. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 25.0. The factors most important in determining the willingness to buy taurine-containing jelly were price and efficacy for male students (p < 0.05), taste (p < 0.05), and brand (p < 0.01) for female students. Nutrient and weight were more important in the interest group than the indifferent group (p < 0.05). Preference consumer scores of the taurine-containing jelly rated aroma, texture, and taste significantly higher among male college students than those of the female college students. Moreover, preference scores of all items were significantly higher in the interest group than in the indifferent group. The interest group was more knowledgeable about taurine than the indifferent group (p < 0.001). Willingness to purchase (average 3.1 points) and intention to recommend (average 3.1 points) the taurine-containing B jelly were significantly higher in the interest group than in the indifferent group. Interest in taurine-containing jelly, overall preference, and intention to recommend in all the subjects were shown to significantly positively correlate with their willingness to purchase. These results show that it is necessary to increase the degree of interest, preference, and intention to recommend to improve the willingness to purchase taurine-containing jelly by Korean college students. In particular, since the subjects who had knowledge of taurine were interested in taurine-containing jelly, nutritional education and promotion of taurine should help in the selling of the product., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Taurine is known to play roles in fatigue recovery and relief of anxiety and stress. This pilot study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary taurine-containing jelly supplementation on the academic-related characteristics of Korean college entrance examinees. The jelly contained 3 g of taurine in a packet and was provided to the subjects with one packet per day for 2 weeks. The academic-related characteristics of subjects were evaluated by academic-related attitude (using School Attitude Assessment Survey-R; SAAS-R), CEES (college entrance examination stress), and SRL (self-regulated learning) and academic achievement and were conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. The total number of subjects in this study was 17, and they were divided into taurine supplementation group (n = 9, TSG) and placebo group (n = 8, PG) by randomization. The results were compared before and after 2 weeks of dietary taurine-containing jelly supplementation for each group. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0. The total score (p = 0.069) and motivation/self-regulation score (p = 0.060) in SAAS-R tended to be significantly higher in the TSG after 2 weeks of supplementation compared to before supplementation. The score change of academic achievement in TSG was positively correlated with a total score change of SRL. In addition, as a result of simple regression analysis, a total score changes of SRL had a positive effect on a change of academic achievement score in TSG (explanatory power: 42.9%). The results of this pilot study showed that dietary taurine-containing jelly supplementation may have some effects on academic-related characteristics with a positive change in SRL. Therefore, it may be beneficial to supplement dietary taurine-containing jelly to improve academic-related characteristics such as self-regulated learning of students preparing for the college entrance exam., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations among taurine-related nutritional knowledge (TNK), taurine intake frequency (TIF), and cognitive function (CF) in Korean elderly. Subjects of this cross-sectional study were 278 elderly persons in Korea without dementia (men 76, women 202). The subjects were divided into two groups: a group with a lower than average TNK score (LAG) and a group with a higher than average TNK score (HAG). Data were obtained via questionnaires and 1: 1 interviews. Correlation analysis available in SPSS 20.0 was used to analyze associations among the three factors. Average TNK score of all subjects was 4 out of 10 points, while that of the LAG (1.9 points) was significantly lower than that of the HAG (6.6 points) (p < 0.001). Average TIF score in the HAG (195.3 points) was significantly higher than that of the LAG (180.8 points) (p < 0.001). Compared to the LAG, the HAG members more frequently consumed foods such as webfoot octopus, whelk, dried anchovy, dried shrimp, mackerel, anglerfish, skate, short-necked clam, shrimp, and dried squid (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in CF scores between the LAG and HAG. There was positive correlation between TNK and TIF scores in all the subjects (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference, but there was a tendency for a positive correlation, between TNK and CF scores (p = 0.072). These results suggest that nutritional education of the elderly about taurine is needed, and it is strongly recommended that the elderly frequently consume taurine-containing foods and supplements to prevent dementia.

The purpose of this study was to investigate food preference of the elderly for the development of taurine-containing elderly-friendly foods (TEF). The subjects in this study were 278 elderly people who were over 65 years old. All data were collected by face to face interview. Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS 20.0 for Windows. The 'low-salt diet', 'nutritional enriched diet', and 'swallow able diet' were diets that all subjects preferred. All subjects preferred a diet to be sold as three items in separate packaging, as a semi-cooked type. The food types and cooking methods that showed high preference and had a high intention to purchase were cooked rice, porridges, soups and stews, meat side dishes, fish side dishes, kimchi, and vegetable dishes and steaming Among the taurine-containing foods, whip-arm octopus, manila clam, dried anchovy, flatfish, pollack, laver, green laver, sea tangle, seaweed, cod, croaker, and cutlassfish were the preferred foods of most subjects. Elderly females preferred significantly more squid, octopus, eel, mudfish, and sea cucumber than that of elderly males (p < 0.05). Elderly males preferred and consumed significantly more taurine-supplement than did elderly females (p < 0.05). These results will be used as baseline data for development of a customized TEF for Korean elderly.