This study was conducted to investigate the health effects of the general components of acorns in animals. In Korea, acorns have been used as food material in the form of acorn starch. Acorns contain tannin, gallic acid, digallic acid, and gallotannin. Therefore, the health effects of acorns as functional food are actively being studied. The chemical composition of acorns may vary according to the harvest time, region, and breed. Acorns have excellent antioxidant properties and might be beneficial in controlling hyperlipidemia, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and dementia, as well as strengthening immune competence. Further study is necessary to better understand the benefits of acorns, as it is expected to represent a large part of the food industry.

• 제해종(Dept. of Theology, Sahmyook University, Seoul 01795, Korea) | Haejong Je
• 신경옥(Dept. of Food and Nutrition, Sahmyook University, Seoul 01795, Korea) | Kyung-Ok Shin Corresponding author