Features of carbohydrate metabolism, risk factors, and factual content of carbohydrates in children's food intake residing under unfavourable ecological conditions

Abstract

The role and significance of carbohydrates in human life is shown. Also, the factual content of carbohydrates in food intakes of middle school age children, living under ecologically hazardous conditions, was determined. Objectives: We estimated, from a hygienic point of view, the levels of consumption of different groups of carbohydrates by middle school age children, residing permanently at the territories of radioecological control and territories not related to them, established a discrepancy with the physiological needs, discussed the negative consequences, and substantiated the ways for the prevention of possible diseases associated with an excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates. Materials and methods: In the article we presented the findings of the analysis of the actual consumption of carbohydrates by middle school age children, living in the villages of Ivankiv district, Kyiv region, belonging to the territory, suffered from the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and Petropavlovsk Borshchahivka village, Kyiv-Sviatoshynnskyi District, Kyiv region as a "clean" territory. We used the questionnaire method with the subsequent study and analysis of the chemical composition of food intakes, determined the values of carbohydrate consumption by the children 10 - 13 years of age. We used "The Norms of Physiological Needs of the Population of Ukraine in the Main Nutrients and Energy" to assess the factual consumption of carbohydrate [1]. We applied hygienic, analytical, mathematical-and-statistical, program-and-technological methods for research. Results: Hygienic studies of the state of the factual diet of middle school age children indicate a disorder in the correlation among different types of carbohydrates which may negatively affect the course of metabolism and the formation of premorbid states associated with an excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates. In order to optimize the level of mono- and disaccharides in the food intake, it is necessary to develop and implement into the practice the food sets for the children in educational institutions located in radioactive contaminated areas, suffered from the accident at the Chernobyl NPP, and other areas of radioecological control. Conclusions. The results of the research showed that the food intakes of the children from the examined places of residence did not comply with the standards of balanced diet on the content of carbohydrates in different seasons.