Mineral and Vitamin Status in Elderly Persons from Northwest Spain Consuming an Atlantic Variant of the Mediterranean Diet

Abstract

Aim: To assess dietary intake and serum mineral and vitamin levels in elderly people from Northwest Spain consuming a Mediterranean diet, rich in vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, olive oil, dairy products and moderate in wine. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study in four retirement homes. Forty-five men and 65 women participated. Dietary intake and serum calcium, magnesium, iron, retinol, α-tocopherol, albumin, cholesterol, glucose and hematological parameters were determined. Results: Mean consumption of fruit plus vegetables was 600 g/day. Men consumed significantly more legumes, fruit, meat, and alcoholic beverages, but fewer vegetables than women. Women presented higher carbohydrate and lower alcohol energy contributions. Men consumed significantly more thiamin, niacin equivalents, riboflavin, retinol equivalents and iron. Vitamin D intake was 2.2 ± 1.2 µg/day and folate intake was 204 ± 47 µg/day without gender differences. Prevalence of anemia was 6.7% and that of high ferritin, 1.8%. Serum cholesterol and retinol were higher in women. Mean serum α-tocopherol/cholesterol ratio in the whole population was 6.3 ± 2.3 mmol/mol without gender differences. Conclusion: This elderly population consumes an Atlantic-Mediterranean diet that appears, according to biochemical and hematological parameters, appropriate. However, more fatty fish and leafy green vegetables and the inclusion of fortified foods in the diet might optimize micronutrient status.

Vitamin D deficiency in Spain: a population-based cohort study

“…Several studies have been conducted in Spain on the vitamin D nutritional situation, especially during the 1990s. Most of these studies coincided concerning the presence of vitamin D deficiency, but the prevalence figures for the deficit varied, probably because most were carried out with opportune or institutionalized samples, and generally involved a low number of persons (Gó mez-Alonso et al Vaquero et al, 2004;Gonzalez Solanellas et al, 2008;Mata-Granados et al, 2008;Pérez-Llamas et al, 2008;Calatayud et al, 2009). In other countries in Europe, the percentages of deficiency and insufficiency vary (Lips, 2010).…”

“…The first phase of the study (1996)(1997)(1998) included 1226 individuals, selected randomly from the municipal register of Pizarra, Malaga and Spain. Of the original cohort, 784 persons were reassessed in -2004(Soriguer et al, 2002. The final sample size was 1484 persons: 700 from Asturias, 784 from Pizarra.…”

“…The mean levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in middle aged people range from 14 to 25.9 ng/ml, with 26-85.1% of persons having values o20 ng/ml (Gonzalez Solanellas et al, 2008;MataGranados et al, 2008;Calatayud et al, 2009). In persons aged X60 years, the mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration is even lower: 6.95-17 ng/ml, with 46.4-85% having values o20 ng/ml (Gó mez- Alonso et al, 2003;Vaquero et al, 2004;Niño Martín and Pérez Castrilló n, 2008;Pérez-Llamas et al, 2008;Rodríguez Sangrador et al, 2008).…”

Iron status in the elderly

“…Diet was not one of the principal causes of anaemia in their study, except for folate intake, but it appears that infection/inflammation was a key component. In another study in Spain (Vaquero et al, 2004) in which elderly people living in retirement homes were consuming an Atlantic-Mediterranean diet (rich in meat products, fish, vegetables, fruit, olive oil and dairy products, but poor in cereals), the prevalence of anaemia was only 6.7%, but there were no measurements of infection/inflammation.…”

An ecologic study of cancer mortality rates in Spain with respect to indices of solar UVB irradiance and smoking

“…Since Spain is populated largely by those with strong ancestral ties to the country, the skin pigmentation is largely adapted to the solar UV in Spain. 28 Thus, Spain is a country where the amount of UVB should affect the risk of cancer, but developing a vitamin D index based solely on solar UVB doses related to latitude might be difficult.Fortunately, there are other indices that can be used to estimate solar UV irradiance: skin cancer and melanoma mortality rates. Skin cancer deaths in Spain are largely due to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which is related to total lifetime solar UV irradiance.…”