Ana M. Requejo

Influence of nutrition on cognitive function in a group of elderly, independently living people

Objective: To study the differences in cognitive status with respect to food habits and energy and nutrient intake in a group of non institutionalised, elderly people.Design: Prospective study.Setting: The study subjects were independently living, elderly people who spent some of their time at day centres in the Comunidad de Madrid (the Madrid region). The study centres were selected by the Madrid City Hall.Subjects: The study included 168 elderly people aged 65–90u2009y. All accepted the invitation to participate, met all inclusion criteria, and were free of significant cognitive impairment.Interventions: Dietary intake was monitored using a ‘food record’ for 7 consecutive days including a Sunday. In addition, the ‘precise individual weighing’ method was used for 5 days in order to monitor the meals taken by the subjects at the centres canteens. Cognitive capacity was measured using Folsteins mini-mental state examination (MMSE), validated for the Spanish population.Results: Subjects with an adequate cognitive capacity (MMSE≥28) showed a greater intake of total foods, fish, and alcoholic drinks, but took less foods from the ‘various’ group (chocolates, cakes, etc). These subjects had a more adequate intake of fatty acids and cholesterol, and a greater intake of vitamins implicated in correct brain function (thiamine, folic acid, vitamin C).Conclusions: Subjects with satisfactory intellectual function generally had a better diet. This shows the importance of correct nutrition in its maintenance.

Influence of the desire to lose weight on food habits, and knowledge of the characteristics of a balanced diet, in a group of Madrid university students.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the desire to lose weight in a group of university students, and to analyse the influence of this desire on declared food habits. The degree of knowledge on what constitutes a balanced diet was also determined.Design: Cross-sectional population survey.Subjects: The study subjects were 234 university students (48 males and 186 females) aged 22.3±1.5u2009y. The weight and height of each were recorded. All subjects were questioned on their desire to lose weight, habitual food intake frequencies, and about what they considered to constitute a balanced diet.Results: Approximately half the population (47.9%), both male (47.8%) and female (47.9%), expressed a desire to lose weight, even though the percentage of overweight students was low (11.1% overall, although much greater among male students [39.6%] than female students [3.8]). The body mass index (BMI) of those who wanted to lose weight was greater than that of those who did not. Nonetheless, the majority of subjects (especially females) showed BMIs within the normal range (18–25u2009kg/m2). Among those who wished to lose weight, the consumption of sweet foods was lower — although these subjects believed they ought to consume even less. It was also thought necessary that egg consumption be reduced, although no differences were recorded in declared consumption between those who wished to lose weight and those who did not.Conclusions: The results show that there is great concern over body weight, although no great differences were seen in the food habits and nutrition knowledge of those who wished to lose weight and those who did not.

The Importance of Breakfast in Meeting Daily Recommended Calcium Intake in a Group of Schoolchildren

OBJECTIVEnTo evaluate the breakfast intake of calcium and milk products and to determine whether these correlate with total intake of both calcium and milk products.nnnMETHODSnFood taken at breakfast and throughout the day was recorded using a 7 consecutive day food record in 200 schoolchildren aged between 9 and 13 years.nnnRESULTSn65.3% of boys and 80.5% of girls showed intakes of calcium which were lower than recommended. Milk products were the foods most frequently included in breakfast (95.5% of subjects included them in this meal). A relationship was seen between energy provided by breakfast and the quantities of milk products (r = 0.5735) and calcium (r = 0.6908) taken at this meal. A relationship was also seen between energy provided by breakfast and daily intake of milk products (r = 0.4633) and calcium (r = 0.4954). The percentage of intakes of calcium lower than those recommended decreased when breakfast provided > or = 20% of total energy intake, and when the consumption of milk products at breakfast was greater than the 50th percentile (200 ml). Subjects with breakfast milk product intakes > or = 200 ml showed higher intakes of the same over the rest of the day (233.3 +/-140.4 g) than did those who took lesser quantities of these foods at breakfast (161.5 +/- 100.6 g). Further, those who took > or = 25% of the recommended intake of calcium at breakfast showed greater intakes of the same over the rest of the day (600.4 +/- 213.8 mg compared to 510.8 +/- 200.7 mg in subjects with lower calcium intakes).nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe intake of milk products (r = 0.7587) and calcium (r = 0.7223) at breakfast correlates with the consumption of these foods in the whole diet. However, the total daily intake of milk products and calcium does not depend solely on breakfast intake. Subjects with the greatest intakes at breakfast also showed greater intakes over the rest of the day (r = 0.3953 for milk products and r = 0.4122 for calcium).

Relationship between habitual breakfast and intellectual performance (logical reasoning) in well-nourished schoolchildren of Madrid (Spain)

Objective: To determine the relationships between habitual breakfast habits and performance in verbal aptitude, logical reasoning and mathematical tests in a group of well-nourished scholars from Madrid.Design: The study subjects were 180 children between 9 and 13u2009y of age. A dietetic study was undertaken using a 7-day food record. Scholastic aptitude was examined using the scholastic aptitude test (SAT-1) test.Results: Breakfast made up 19.1% of total daily intake. No differences were found between subjects in terms of personal data or total diet with respect to whether they habitually took adequate breakfasts (AB) (ie, more than 20% of daily energy being provided by this meal) or inadequate breakfasts (IB) (less than 20%). However, AB subjects achieved better reasoning scores in the SAT-1 test.Conclusions: The normal breakfast habits of schoolchildren should be taken into account when studying diet–mental function relationships, even when studying well-nourished populations.Sponsorship: This study was performed with help from Danone España S.A.

Comparative study of natural carob fibre and psyllium husk in rats. Influence on some aspects of nutritional utilisation and lipidaemia

The effects of the addition of 100 g kg−1 of psyllium husk (PSY), cellulose (CEL) or natural carob fibre (NCF) to a semi-synthetic diet on fat (FD) and nitrogen (NF) digestibility coefficients, metabolic nitrogen utilisation (MNU), net nitrogen utilisation (NNU) and total serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels, were studied in male ‘Wistar’ rats. No significant differences were observed between the three fibres with respect to the weight increase of the animals or MNU. Significant differences were recorded for the FD of the NCF group (0.91±0.01) compared to the CEL group (0.95±0.01), as well as on ND (0.88±0.00 NCF group, 0.88±0.00 PSY group and 0.95±0.00 CEL group) and NNU. None of these indexes showed differences between the groups PSY and NCF. For the serum cholesterol levels, there were no significant differences between the non-hypercholesterolaemic groups fed PSY, CEL or NCF; in those in which hypercholesterolaemia was induced (cholesterol and bile bovine 8.3 g kg−1), significantly lower values were found in the NCF group (166±17 mg dl−1 ) than in the PSY group (343±61 mg dl −1) and in the CEL group (386±48 mg dl−1). n n n n© 1999 Society of Chemical Industry

Influence of dietetic and anthropometric factors and of the type of sport practised on bone density in different groups of women

Objective: The aim of this work was to analyse the influence of dietetic and anthropometric data, as well as the sport practised, on the bone density of different groups of sportswomen.Subjects and methods: Dietetic, anthropometric and bone density data were collected from 74 women who practised different sports (15 skiers, 26 basketball players and 33 ballet dancers), and compared to those of 90 women who led sedentary lifestyles.Results: The sportswomen had higher bone mineral contents and bone densities than controls. However, the dancers showed similar spinal and hip values as those of controls, and lower forearm values. Low body weight and body mass index, and insufficient energy intake–characteristic of the dancers–were associated with poorer bone mineralisation status. Increased energy, protein, vitamin D, calcium, zinc and magnesium intakes were associated with greater bone density and mineral content at different sites.Conclusions: The worst bone density status was that of the dancers, who, as a group, displayed characteristics that have negative impacts in this respect (low energy intakes and low body weight). Dancers should therefore take steps to avoid suffering fractures and skeleto-muscular lesions which could negatively influence their health and physical performance. The greater consumption of milk products and calcium and better Ca/P ratio seen in the dancers could help this group to avoid bone deterioration.Sponsorship: This research was supported by the Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales, Instituto de la Mujer, III Plan de Investigación Científica y Desarrollo Tecnológico.

Concern about nutrition and its relation to the food habits of a group of young university students from Madrid (Spain).

SummaryThe aim of this investigation was to study the relationship between concern about nutrition and food consumption in 533 university students (112 men and 421 women), aged 21.7±2.1 years old. Fish, dairy products and fruit were consumed in quite satisfactory quantities though cereals and vegetables were consumed less frequently than recommended. Men were found to consume greater quantities of milk, meat, bread and alcoholic drinks, while women ate more fruit and vegetables than men.35.4 % of subjects said they were especially concerned about the intake of fat and cholesterol, 24.5 % expressed special interest in weight control and 18.2 % recorded worries about the intake of vitamins and minerals. 21.6 % of subjects expressed no worries at all.Multiple regression analysis showed no differences in concern about nutrition with respect to the sex or body mass index (BMI) of subjects. However, as age increased, the number of subjects expressing no concern fell whilst worries over the quantity of vitamins and minerals in the diet increased.Worries about bodyweight were found to rise with BMI. However, amongst those who wanted to lose weight, 42.2 % of women and 7.4 % of men had a BMI <20 kg/m2. These persons, already very slim (below recommended values), still wished to lose weight and could become susceptible to nutritional imbalances.Relationships between concerns and food habits were scarce. Although fat and cholesterol were a concern in theory, the consumption of foodstuffs such as meat and eggs was quite high. However, relationships were found between concern over the vitamin and mineral content of the diet and the intake of supplements, and concern over bodyweight and intake of products that aid slimming. Nutrition educators may find this information useful in the design of their messages and educational programs.ZusammenfassungDie Absicht dieser Studie war es, den Zusammenhang zwischen der Besorgtheit über Ernährung und den Lebensmittelkonsum bei 533 Universitätsstudenten (112 Männer und 421 Frauen), Durchschnittsalter 21.7±2.1 Jahre, zu untersuchen. Fisch, Milchprodukte und Obst wurden in ausreichendem Maße, Getreide und Gemüse hingegen wurden in kleineren Mengen als empfohlen, gegessen. Die Männer verzehrten mehr Milch, Fleisch, Brot und alkoholische Getränke, während die Frauen mehr Obst und Gemüse als die Männer aßen.35,4 % der Studenten äußerten Besorgnis besonders über die Aufnahme von Fett und Cholesterin, 24,5 % waren speziell an der Gewichtskontrolle interessiert und 18,2 % sagten, ihre Hauptsorge gelte der korrekten Einnahme von Vitaminen und Mineralstoffen. 21,6 % der Teilnehmer hatten keine besondere Sorge bezüglich der Ernährung. Multiple Regressionsanalysen zeigten keinen Unterschied zwischen Männern und Frauen oder dem Body Mass Index (BMI) auf, was die Besorgtheit über die Ernährung betrifft. Aber man stellte einen altersbedingten Unterschied fest. Mit zunehmendem Alter zeigten die Studenten mehr Interesse zum Thema „Ernährung“, vor allem im Zusammenhang mit Vitaminen und Mineralstoffen. Die Besorgnis über die Gewichtskontrolle stieg mit steigendem BMI. Von denen, die ihr Gewicht reduzieren wollten, hatten allerdings 42,2 % der Frauen gegenüber 7,4 % der Männer einen BMI von <20 kg/m2. Da diese Studenten bereits sehr schlank waren (unter den empfohlenen Werten), aber trotzdem noch Gewicht verlieren wollten, könnte dies zu Mangelerscheinungen führen.Zusammenhänge zwischen der Besorgtheit und der Ernährungsweise waren kaum zu beobachten. Obwohl die Einnahme von Fett und Cholesterin als solche Anlass zur Besorgnis war, wurden zum Beispiel relativ viel Fleisch und Eier verzehrt. Es wurde eine Beziehung gefunden zwischen der Sorge um den Vitamin- und Mineralstoffgehalt der Nahrung und der Einnahme von Nahrungsergänzungsmittel sowie zwischen der Sorge um das Körpergewicht und der Einnahme von Produkten zur Gewichtsreduktion. Für die Lehrer der Ernährungswissenschaft kann diese Information behilflich sein, um ihre Kurse und Programme zu gestalten.

Influence of the time spent watching television on the dietary habits, energy intake and nutrient intake of a group of Spanish adolescents

Abstract To investigate the relationship between dietary habits and the length of time spent watching television daily, the food, energy and nutrient intakes of a group of 60 adolescents were quantified. These subjects, between 15 and 17 years of age, attended a state high school in Madrid (Spain). A prospective method using a “weighed food record” was used for 5 consecutive days including a Sunday. Results were transformed into energy and nutrient intakes and compared to recommended dietary intakes. Subjects who watched television for 2 or more h/d ate less fruit, legumes, fibre and vitamin C than those who watched less television. The percentage of subjects with nutrient intakes below recommended values was higher amongst those who watched more television. Also, the contribution of macronutrients to their energy intake was less adequate.

Riboflavin Levels in Maternal Milk: The Influence of Vitamin B2 Status during the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

OBJECTIVEnThe aim of the present investigation was to study the relationship between riboflavin status during the third trimester of pregnancy and levels of this vitamin in transition milk (days 13 to 14 of lactation) and mature milk (day 40 of lactation).nnnMETHODSnThe pregnancies and lactation periods of 57 healthy women between 18 and 35 years of age (27+/-3.7 years) were monitored, vitamin intake during the third trimester was determined by recording the consumption of foods over five days and by registering the quantities provided by dietary supplements. Riboflavin status during this stage of pregnancy was determined via the measurement of the activation of erythrocyte glutathione reductase (EGR) by flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD). Milk riboflavin levels were determined by fluorometry.nnnRESULTSnThose subjects with riboflavin intakes below recommended (1.6 mg/day) (Group L) showed lower consumption of milk products (305.2+/-88.5 g/day) than did those with greater intakes (Group H) (507.9+/-137.2 g/day). The consumption of riboflavin containing supplements was very low and was seen only in two H subjects. Transition and mature milk riboflavin levels were significantly higher in H subjects (948.1+/-700.1 nmol/L for transition milk and 993.8+/-436.6 nmol/L for mature milk) than L subjects (574.9+/-258.7 nmol/L for transition milk and 725.4+/-254.3 nmol/L for mature milk). Subjects with alpha-EGR coefficients over 1.2 in the third trimester showed significantly lower mature milk riboflavin levels (704.1+/-241.8 nmol/L) than did subjects with more satisfactory alpha-EGR coefficients (996.4+/-302.9 nmol/L).nnnCONCLUSIONnThe influence of maternal vitamin B2 status during pregnancy on breast milk riboflavin levels was confirmed.

Maternal vitamin E status during the third trimester of pregnancy in Spanish women: Influence on breast milk vitamin E concentration

Abstract A prospective, observational study was made into the effects of vitamin E intake on serum levels of the same during the third trimester of pregnancy, and on breast milk vitamin E levels. The study subjects were a group of 57 healthy, lactating mothers between 18 and 35 years of age. Vitamin E intake was determined during the third trimester of pregnancy using a 5-day dietary record (including a Sunday) and by recording the quantities provided by supplements. HPLC was used to determine vitamin E concentrations in maternal serum, transitional milk (days 13–14 of lactation) and mature milk (day 40 of lactation). Only 3.5% of subjects took vitamin E supplements during pregnancy. The addition of this intake to that provided by the diet produced no notable change in the results. 68.4% of third trimester subjects took