Table 4.
Micronutrient Content of the Traditional Okinawan and Japanese Diets
| Amount | % RDAJ a | Amount | % RDAJ a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okinawa, 1949 b | Japan, 1950c | |||
| Calcium (mg) | 505.3 | 75 | 325.5 | 48 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 396.1 | 127 | 327.4 | 105 |
| Potassium (mg) | 5199.6 | 180 | 2712.3 | 94 |
| Sodium (mg) d,e | 1133 | 35 | 2451 | 76 |
| Vitamin A (RE) | 1252 | 165 | 337 | 44 |
| Vitamin E (mg) | 16.6 | 246 | 6.3 | 93 |
| Vitamin K (mcg) | 87.6 | 126 | 65.8 | 95 |
| Vitamin B1: thiamin (mg) | 1.4 | 118 | 1.1 | 92 |
| Vitamin B2: riboflavin (mg) | 0.5 | 38 | 0.5 | 38 |
| Niacin (mg) | 13.2 | 105 | 18.1 | 144 |
| Vitamin B6: pyridoxine (mg) | 3 | 240 | 1.6 | 128 |
| Folate (mcg) | 557.4 | 232 | 267.2 | 111 |
| Vitamin B12: cobalamin (mcg) | 0.6 | 25 | 4.0 | 167 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 273.4 | 273 | 94.9 | 95 |
b
Calculated from U.S. National Archive, archived food records, 1949.
c
Calculated from the Japan National Nutrition Survey and the Statistics Record of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Government of Japan, 1950.
d
This is the upper LIMIT RDAJ recommends. 8.25 grams of salt (mean of men 9 g, women 7.5 g) is 3242.25 mg of sodium.
e
Sodium intake is calculated from food sources only and therefore underestimated. The main sources of sodium intake in Japan are added to foods in the form of soy based sauces (including miso flavorings), salting of fish, pickling of vegetables, and adding while cooking.