Kohlenhydratzufuhr in Deutschland auf der basis der einkommens- und verbrauchsstichproben von 1988, 1993 und 1998

Objective: The current discussion on the potential health risks associated with diets having a high glycaemic index or glycaemic load, respectively, calls for detailed data on carbohydrate intake in Germany. Method: The analysis is based on data of the German household budget surveys from 1988, 1993 and 1998 providing information on monthly food acquisition of approx. 15 000 households. Food consumption of the individual household members was estimated applying correction factors and statistical procedures. The corresponding nutrient intake was determined using the latest version of the German standard food composition database (Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel 11.3). Results: The intake of carbohydrates (CHO), especially of starch, increased significantly during the period of investigation. But the contribution of CHO to energy intake (CHO%) only increased in former Western Germany. CHO% is significantly higher among females compared to males and negatively associated with age. The main sources of CHO intake are cereal products like bread, pasta and rice. After adjustment for energy intake, CHO intake is only weakly correlated with the intake of most other nutrients. Exceptions were found for lactose and calcium or riboflavin, respectively (r = 0.702; r = 0.617), as well as for oligosaccharides and alcohol (r = 0.711), polysaccharide and fiber (r = 0.536) and for total CHO and fat (r = -0.712). Sucrose intake is negatively correlated with the intake of any other nutrient, except vitamin C.