ATTITUDES OF ANTIOXIDANT CONSUMPTION IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Antioxidants are generally found in vegetables, fruits and some other plants. A balanced diet should contain foods rich in antioxidants. We aimed in this study to evaluate the knowledge level of students in the Institute of Health Sciences and their pattern of antioxidant consumption. We also assessed the stress levels of cases with a simple scale and its association with consumption levels. A total of 144 cases participated in the study. The mean age of the students was 20.61 +/- 2.04 (range 17-33). Number of females was 111 (77.1%). Among the study group, 66.7% of cases consumed 4 cups or more of tea daily. Rate of consumption of coffee every day was 52.4%. The mostly known antioxidants are garlic, red pepper, green tea, vegetables, and vitamin E with decreasing order. Daily consumption rates of vegetables, black tea, and olive were most common in decreasing order. The stress levels of the cases were not significantly associated with the consumption rates of each antioxidant in this study. Knowledge level about antioxidants of students has to be increased. The dietary habits of the population like high consumption of vegetables, black tea, and olive in a way compensated the amount of daily consumed antioxidants.