A Survey On Consumption Of Nine Pilot Edible And Medicinal Substances Among Adults Aged 18 And Above in 19 Cities in Guangdong Province
May 24, 2024
2 results
2.1 General information
A total of 6233 respondents were included in this study, including 3068 males, accounting for 49.2%; and 3165 females, accounting for 50.8%. For other general information, please see Table 1.
EDIBLE AND MEDICINAL TCM HERB CISTANCHE-SEXUAL ENHANCEMENT SUPPLEMENTS
2.2 Consumption rate of pilot food and drug substances
Among the surveyed population, the consumption rates of the nine pilot food and drug substances were significantly different, P<0.05. The consumption rates from high to low were:
Codonopsis 55.3%, Astragalus 47.4%, American ginseng 41.5%, Ganoderma lucidum 30%, Dendrobium officinale (dried) 24.1%, Gastrodia elata 16%, Dendrobium officinale (fresh) 4.8%, Cistanche deserticola 2.6%, Eucommia ulmoides leaves 1.3%, Dogwood 0.8%. The 9 pilot food and drug substances are mainly not for direct consumption, accounting for 82.6%-95.1%, and the proportion for direct consumption is 4.9%-17.4%. See Table 2 for details.
For 6 substances, including Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, American ginseng, Ganoderma lucidum, Dendrobium officinale (dried), and Gastrodia elata, the consumption rate of women is higher than that of men, P<0.05, and the consumption rate difference between different genders is 3.1%-5.4%. For the four substances Dendrobium officinale (fresh), Cistanche deserticola, Eucommia ulmoides leaves, and Cornus officinale, there was no statistically significant difference in consumption rates between men and women, P >0.05. See Table 3 for details.
| Variable | Number of Respondents | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | ||
| Han | 6185 | 99.2 |
| Minority | 48 | 0.8 |
| Gender | ||
| Male | 3068 | 49.2 |
| Female | 3165 | 50.8 |
| Age Group | ||
| 18-44 years | 3151 | 50.6 |
| 45-59 years | 1723 | 27.6 |
| 60 years and above | 1359 | 21.8 |
| Education Level | ||
| Primary school and below | 1067 | 17.1 |
| Middle school | 1719 | 27.6 |
| High school/Technical school | 1564 | 25.1 |
| College and above | 1883 | 30.2 |
2.2 Consumption rate of pilot food and drug substances
Among the surveyed population, the consumption rates of the nine pilot food and drug substances were significantly different, P<0.05. The consumption rates from high to low were: Codonopsis 55.3%, Astragalus 47.4%, American ginseng 41.5%, Ganoderma lucidum 30%, Dendrobium officinale (dry) 24.1%, Gastrodia elata 16%, Dendrobium officinale (fresh) 4.8%, Cistanche deserticola 2.6%, Eucommia ulmoides leaves 1.3%, and Cornus officinale 0.8%. The 9 pilot food and drug substances are mainly not for direct consumption, accounting for 82.6%-95.1%, and the proportion for direct consumption is 4.9%-17.4%. See Table 2 for details.
For 6 substances, including Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, American ginseng, Ganoderma lucidum, Dendrobium officinale (dried), and Gastrodia elata, the consumption rate of women is higher than that of men, P<0.05, and the consumption rate difference between different genders is 3.1%-5.4%. For the four substances Dendrobium officinale (fresh), Cistanche deserticola, Eucommia ulmoides leaves, and Cornus officinale, there was no statistically significant difference in consumption rates between men and women, P >0.05. See Table 3 for details.
| Item Name | Number of Consumers | Consumption Rate (%) | Direct Consumption | Direct Consumption Rate (%) | Indirect Consumption | Indirect Consumption Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codonopsis pilosula | 3448 | 55.3 | 556 | 16.1 | 2892 | 83.9 |
| Astragalus | 2952 | 47.4 | 152 | 5.1 | 2800 | 94.9 |
| American Ginseng | 2586 | 41.5 | 450 | 17.4 | 2136 | 82.6 |
| Ganoderma | 1869 | 30.0 | 115 | 6.2 | 1754 | 93.8 |
| Dried Dendrobium | 1500 | 24.1 | 97 | 6.5 | 1403 | 93.5 |
| Hemp | 999 | 16.0 | 117 | 11.7 | 882 | 88.3 |
| Fresh Dendrobium | 299 | 4.8 | 31 | 10.4 | 268 | 89.6 |
| Hericium erinaceus | 163 | 2.6 | 8 | 4.9 | 155 | 95.1 |
| Eucommia ulmoides | 78 | 1.3 | 5 | 6.4 | 73 | 93.6 |
| Dried Yam | 51 | 0.8 | 5 | 9.8 | 46 | 90.2 |
| Item Name | Male (n = 3068) | Consumption Rate (%) | Female (n = 3165) | Consumption Rate (%) | χ² Value | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codonopsis pilosula | 1629 | 53.1 | 1819 | 57.5 | 9.46 | 0.002 |
| Astragalus | 1369 | 44.6 | 1583 | 50.0 | 13.57 | <0.001 |
| American Ginseng | 1213 | 39.5 | 1373 | 43.4 | 6.75 | 0.009 |
| Ganoderma | 857 | 27.9 | 1012 | 32.0 | 7.93 | 0.005 |
| Dried Dendrobium | 690 | 22.5 | 810 | 25.6 | 5.1 | 0.024 |
| Hemp | 442 | 14.4 | 557 | 17.6 | 6.86 | 0.009 |
| Fresh Dendrobium | 135 | 4.4 | 164 | 5.2 | 1.08 | 0.299 |
| Cistanche | 84 | 2.7 | 79 | 2.5 | 0.18 | 0.671 |
| Eucommia ulmoides | 36 | 1.2 | 42 | 1.3 | 0.07 | 0.790 |
| Dried Yam | 21 | 0.7 | 30 | 0.9 | 0.66 | 0.416 |
2.3 Pilot food and drug substance consumption frequency
Among the consumer population, the average monthly consumption frequency of the 9 pilot food and drug substances is 0.8-2.2 times per month. There is no significant difference in the monthly consumption frequency of different food and drug substances, P>0.05. See Table 4 for details.
Table 4 Distribution of monthly consumption frequency of 9 pilot edible and medicinal substances among consumer
| Item Name | Average (times) | < 1.0 times (%) | 1.0-3.9 times (%) | ≥ 4.0 times (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codonopsis pilosula | 1.9 ± 2.6 | 1303 (37.8) | 1612 (46.8) | 533 (15.5) |
| Astragalus | 2.2 ± 3.2 | 1061 (35.9) | 1350 (45.7) | 541 (18.3) |
| American Ginseng | 1.4 ± 2.7 | 1426 (55.1) | 906 (35.0) | 254 (9.8) |
| Ganoderma | 1.0 ± 2.2 | 1306 (69.9) | 441 (23.6) | 122 (6.5) |
| Dried Dendrobium | 1.3 ± 2.5 | 854 (56.9) | 518 (34.5) | 128 (8.5) |
| Hemp | 0.8 ± 1.4 | 701 (70.2) | 256 (25.6) | 42 (4.2) |
| Fresh Dendrobium | 1.0 ± 2.1 | 199 (66.6) | 84 (28.1) | 16 (5.4) |
| Cistanche | 0.9 ± 1.4 | 112 (68.7) | 46 (28.2) | 5 (3.1) |
| Eucommia ulmoides | 1.2 ± 1.9 | 39 (50.0) | 34 (43.6) | 5 (6.4) |
| Dried Yam | 0.9 ± 1.4 | 35 (68.6) | 14 (27.5) | 2 (3.9) |
2.4 Pilot food and drug quality consumption
Among the consumer groups, the average consumption amount of the 9 pilot food and drug substances (dried) per time was 7.4-11.9 g per time, and the difference was not statistically significant, P>0.05. The average consumption of Dendrobium officinale (fresh) per time is 41.9 g per time, see Table 5 for details.
| Item Name | Mean (g) | Std Dev (g) | P25 (g) | P50 (g) | P75 (g) | P95 (g) | Chinese Pharmacopeia Dosage (g/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codonopsis pilosula | 10.2 | 7.6 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 22.0 | 9-30 |
| Astragalus | 9.7 | 6.8 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 20.0 | 9-30 |
| American Ginseng | 7.4 | 6.4 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 20.0 | 3-6 |
| Ganoderma | 11.9 | 11.1 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 30.0 | 6-12 |
| Dried Dendrobium | 9.3 | 8.1 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 20.0 | 6-12 |
| Hemp | 9.4 | 6.3 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 20.0 | 6-12 |
| Fresh Dendrobium | 41.9 | 49.9 | 10.0 | 20.0 | 50.0 | 150.0 | None |
| Cistanche | 10.4 | 6.9 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 11.0 | 20.0 | 6-10 |
| Eucommia ulmoides | 9.3 | 7.6 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 25.0 | 10-15 |
| Dried Yam | 9.3 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 6-12 |
3 Discussion
This study is based on the results of a large-sample household on-site survey. It shows that among healthy adults in Guangdong Province who have the habit of eating traditional soups and other local specialty foods, the consumption rate of 9 pilot food substances is 0.8%-55.3%, and the top 3 consumption rates are 0.8%-55.3%. The top three places are: Codonopsis pilosula 55.3%, Astragalus membranaceus 47.4%, American ginseng 41.5%, and the bottom three places are: Cistanche deserticola 2.6%, Eucommia ulmoides leaves 1.3%, and Cornus officinale 0.8%, indicating no
There are large differences in the consumption rates of food and drug substances in the same pilot study. According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, pilot foods such as Codonopsis pilosula with high consumption rates are sweet in taste and mild in nature, and the food properties of these substances are not weaker than their medicinal properties. Differences in food substance consumption rates are also related to the eating habits of local residents. In Cantonese cuisine, substances such as Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, Ganoderma lucidum, etc. are often selected as soup ingredients and cooked with livestock and poultry meat. Consumers hope to obtain conditioning, health care and other effects by drinking soup [5]. The results of this survey also show that the consumer population mainly does not consume them directly, with the proportion exceeding 80%. That is to say, the surveyed population mainly consumes pilot food and drug substances by making soup, soaking in water, soaking in wine, etc., and some substances are also difficult to eat directly, such as : Astragalus is hard and tough, not easy to break, and its cross section is highly fibrous [4]. In addition, factors such as origin, regional production enterprises, and prices will have an impact on the consumption rate of pilot substances. For example, Cistanche deserticola (desert) is suitable for growing in desert environments and is mostly produced in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Gansu and other regions [6]. Household surveys also found that residents in our province have a low awareness rate of Cistanche deserticola (data not shown).
In this study, the consumption rate of 6 pilot food and drug substances was higher among women than men, including Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, American ginseng, Ganoderma lucidum, Dendrobium officinale (dried), and Gastrodia elata. The consumption rate difference between different genders was 3.1%-5.4%. Some studies have analyzed the TCM constitution status of professional people in Guangdong and pointed out that the proportion of men with balanced constitutions is significantly higher than that of women, suggesting that women with biased constitutions have a higher need for balanced constitution adjustments [7-8]. In Guangdong, making soups and medicated meals are important ways to adjust the body's constitution [5,9]. This may be an important reason why women's consumption rate of food and drug substances is higher than that of men. In previous studies by our team, it was found that the proportion of men eating out was significantly higher than that of women [10]. Since some food and drug substances consumed when dining out (such as just drinking soup and water) are difficult to distinguish and recall, respondents may ignore this part. Consumption status of food and drug substances, which may underestimate male consumption rates. A survey conducted in Guizhou, Zhejiang, and Yunnan found that the consumption rate of Dendrobium officinale among men (71.8%, 310/432) was higher than that among women (61.6%, 398/646) [11], which is significantly different from the results of this study. The differences suggest that there may be differences in the consumption rates of food and drug substances in pilot trials in different regions.
The results of each consumption of pilot food and drug substance consumers show that among the consumer groups, the average consumption of dry food and drug substances in the pilot is 7.4-10.4 g, and the average consumption of Dendrobium officinale (fresh) reaches 41.9 g. The dosages of various pilot food and drug substances in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia are listed above. Except for Codonopsis pilosula and Astragalus, the high consumption groups (P95) of other pilot food and drug substances are higher than the upper limit of dosage in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, while the consumption of American ginseng and Cistanche deserticola The average value of the population exceeds its corresponding usage limit. Although previous studies have pointed out that the toxicological safety evaluation of these nine pilot food substances does not have obvious toxicity, the relevant research on humans is still relatively weak, and inappropriate consumption amounts and consumption methods may bring health risks. For example, studies have pointed out that chewing large amounts of fresh American ginseng can cause adverse reactions such as vomiting and increased heart rate [12-13]. The "Management Regulations on the Catalog of Substances that Are Traditionally Both Food and Traditional Chinese Medicine" does not recommend the consumption amount of food and drug substances [14]. The Department of Food Safety Standards and Monitoring and Evaluation recommends that food and drug substances be consumed in moderation in traditional ways [15] . It is recommended that these food and drug substances be further scientifically evaluated, the usage and dosage should be refined, and the correctness of residents' consumption of various food and drug substances should be improved through popular science propaganda and other methods.
