Introduction: southern European, Middle Eastern, and North African countries bordering the Mediterranean share dietary habits characterized by moderation and a variety of foods, notably fruit and vegetables. These customs are becoming modified due to social and economic changes. An adequate intake of water and other drinks is essential for a healthy diet. Objective: to study adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) and bottled water/beverage consumption in two Mediterranean populations. Methods: adults from North-Western Morocco and Southern Spain (n = 400) completed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The bottled waters they reported were then purchased locally (17 brands in Morocco, 30 in Southern Spain) for ionic-exchange chromatography study. Results: cation values (mg/L) ranged from 140.16 to 439 for C, 53.15 to 87.5 for Mg, 1169.78 to 257.2 for Na, and 50.26 to 26.5 mg/L for K, i.e. waters with medium mineralization levels. No cation supplied > 7% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) in either population. MD adherence was higher in the Spanish (6.28 ± 1.38) versus Moroccan (4.42 ± 1.52) population. There is a substantial intake of water through the MD due to its elevated fruit/vegetable content. Consumption of bottled water, infusions, and juices was higher in the Moroccan population; consumption of beer and other alcoholic drinks was higher in the Spanish population. The total liquid consumption was higher in the Moroccan population. The drinks intake profile permits classification of the populations, with odds ratios ranging from 1.6 to 11.01 for a higher intake of juices, soft drinks, tea, bottled water, and total liquids in the Moroccan versus Spanish population.

Introducción: la dieta mediterránea (DM) comprende la ribera europea, africana y asiática del mar Mediterráneo. Características de la DM son variedad de alimentos y sobriedad. Junto a los nutrientes, es esencial la ingesta de agua y bebidas. Objetivo: estudiar la DM y la contribución del agua y las bebidas a la hidratación de dos poblaciones de la ribera mediterránea. Métodos: adultos procedentes del noroeste de Marruecos y sur de España (n = 400), completaron un cuestionario semi-cuantitativo de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos. Se analizó agua envasada consumida por la población y comprada en el mercado local (17 marcas/ tipos en Marruecos y 30 en el sur de España). Resultados: por cromatografía de intercambio iónico se analizaron diversas sales. El rango fue: Ca entre 140,16 y 439 mg/L; Mg entre 53,15 y 87,5 mg/L; Na entre 1169,78 y 257,2 mg/L y K 50,26 y 26,5 mg/L, valores tanto para muestras españolas como marroquís. Son aguas de mineralización media y su ingesta de minerales no contribuye más del 7% a la RDA de las poblaciones estudiadas. El seguimiento de la DM es superior en la población española (6,28 ± 1,38) que en la marroquí (4,42 ± 1,52). El perfil de ingesta de bebidas permite clasificar a la población al encontrar valores OR que van desde 1,6 a 11,01 para mayor ingesta de zumo, refrescos, te, agua envasada y total de ingesta de líquidos para la población marroquí frente a la española. Conclusión: el consumo de aguas envasadas no supone un suplemento mineral de interés en estas poblaciones.

Introduction: healthy dietary habits are considered to improve oral health and tooth quality. Caries treatment comprises tooth restoration with dental composites and sealants, almost all (> 90%) of which contain bisphenol A (BPA). Study hypotheses were: a) breakfast and oral hygiene habits are important factors in dental caries development; and b) dental caries treatment with epoxy-resins entails a risk of oral exposure to monomers migrating from the polymeric material. We evaluated caries in the teeth of a Spanish school population and determined the percentage treated with dental composites. Objective: to relate consumption of breakfast components and oral hygiene habits to dental caries and determine the presence of sealants/composites as potential sources of BPA exposure. Methods: subjects: 582 schoolchildren from Granada city (Southern Spain) aged 7 yrs; mean (SD) of 7.55 (0.64) yrs. Results: caries was detected in 21.7% of their teeth. Mean breakfast quality index (BQI) score, based on nutritional questionnaires, was 5.18 (1.29). Breakfast with foods rich in simple sugars representing > 5% of total daily energy was consumed by 24% of the population and was significantly associated with caries frequency in binary logistic regression analysis. Biscuit consumption was reported by 35.8% and significantly associated with caries frequency. Breakfast intake of bakery products/ cereals and of dairy products showed a significant inverse association with caries frequency. No significant relationship was observed between caries and BQI score or oral hygiene factors. Conclusion: further research is required to elucidate the role of diet in caries and the associated risk of exposure to estrogenic xenobiotics such as BPA.

Introducción: los hábitos alimentarios saludables influyen sobre la salud oral. El tratamiento de la caries comprende la restauración dental con selladores y composites dentales, la mayoría con bisfenol A (BPA). Hipótesis: a) el desayuno y hábitos de higiene oral son factores importantes en el desarrollo de caries; b) el tratamiento de la caries con epoxirresinas conlleva riesgo de exposición oral a monómeros plásticos. Objetivo: relacionar la ingesta del desayuno y los hábitos de higiene oral con la caries dental y determinar la presencia de selladores/composites como fuentes potenciales de exposición al BPA. Métodos: se analizaron 582 niños/as en edad escolar de Granada (sur de España) de 7 años de edad (7,55 [0,64] años). Se empleó un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos, 3 recordatorios de 24 h y variables de estilo de vida, incluyendo la higiene bucodental. La calidad del desayuno fue estimada con el Breakfast Quality Index (BQI). Resultados: se detectó un 21,7% de caries. El valor medio del BQI fue 5,18 (1,29). El 24% de la población realizó un desayuno con alimentos ricos en azúcares simples (> 5% de la energía total), asociado significativamente con la frecuencia de caries en el análisis de regresión logística. El 35,8% de los participantes tomaron galletas; asociado significativamente con la frecuencia de caries. La ingesta de productos de panadería, cereales y lácteos mostró una asociación inversamente significativa con la frecuencia de caries. Conclusión: se necesitan más investigaciones para aclarar el papel de la dieta en la caries y el riesgo de exposición a xenobióticos estrogénicos, como el BPA.

Background: Increasing obesity among adolescents in the industrialized world may result from poor nutritional habits and inadequate exercise. Aim: To determine differences in food intake, nutritional habits, and body mass index between Spanish adolescents who engage in ski activity and those who do not. Methods: A socio-demographic survey, food frequency questionnaire, 24-hr dietary recall, and physical activity questionnaire were completed by 300 Spanish schoolchildren aged 10 to 18 yrs. Results were compared (Student’s t, chi-square and Fisher’s exact test) between adolescents engaged (SP) and not engaged (N-SP) in skiing according to their sex. Results: SP adolescents devoted > 4 h/day to physical activity versus < 1 h for N-SP adolescents. No significant differences were found in nutrient intake or nutritional habits between SP and N-SP adolescents. Protein and fat intakes of both groups were above recommended levels. A higher proportion of N-SP than SP males were overweight. Logistic regression analysis showed that the maintenance of a normal weight was favored by the practice of skiing, the consumption of sugar-free drinks, and supplementation with vitamins/mineral salts and was negatively associated with body weight dissatisfaction, intake of nutritional supplements other than vitamins or minerals, and the consumption of snacks. Conclusions: The diet of this adolescent population was poorly balanced. Engagement in physical activity appears to be a key factor in maintaining a healthy body mass index.

Este artigo apresenta uma análise das opiniões de diferentes grupos, inclusive de cientistas, agências regulatórias internacionais, organizações não-governamentais e indústrias, interessados na questão da identificação de substâncias químicas com atividade desreguladora endócrina. Os autores discutem também o impacto da exposição aos desreguladores endócrinos sobre a saúde humana, considerando as seguintes questões: estimativa de risco; testes utilizados para detectar distúrbios endócrinos; dificuldades na identificação de uma associação entre dose, tempo de exposição, suscetibilidade individual e efeito e tentativas no sentido de mapear os desreguladores endócrinos. Finalmente, os autores argumentam que nem todos os agonistas hormonais devem ser incluídos sob a denominação genérica de desreguladores endócrinos.

This paper presents an analysis of the opinions of different groups from: scientists, international regulatory bodies, non-governmental organizations and industry; with an interest in the problem of identifying chemical substances with endocrine disrupting activity. There is also discussion of the consequences that exposure to endocrine disruptors may have for human health, considering concrete issues related to: the estimation of risk; the tests that must be used to detect endocrine disruption; the difficulties to establish an association between dose, time of exposure, individual susceptibility, and effect; and the attempts to create a census of endocrine disruptors. Finally, it is proposed that not all hormonal mimics should be included under the single generic denomination of endocrine disruptors.

Este artigo apresenta uma análise das opiniões de diferentes grupos, inclusive de cientistas, agências regulatórias internacionais, organizações não-governamentais e indústrias, interessados na questão da identificação de substâncias químicas com atividade desreguladora endócrina. Os autores discutem também o impacto da exposição aos desreguladores endócrinos sobre a saúde humana, considerando as seguintes questões: estimativa de risco; testes utilizados para detectar distúrbios endócrinos; dificuldades na identificação de uma associação entre dose, tempo de exposição, suscetibilidade individual e efeito e tentativas no sentido de mapear os desreguladores endócrinos. Finalmente, os autores argumentam que nem todos os agonistas hormonais devem ser incluídos sob a denominação genérica de desreguladores endócrinos.

This paper presents an analysis of the opinions of different groups from: scientists, international regulatory bodies, non-governmental organizations and industry; with an interest in the problem of identifying chemical substances with endocrine disrupting activity. There is also discussion of the consequences that exposure to endocrine disruptors may have for human health, considering concrete issues related to: the estimation of risk; the tests that must be used to detect endocrine disruption; the difficulties to establish an association between dose, time of exposure, individual susceptibility, and effect; and the attempts to create a census of endocrine disruptors. Finally, it is proposed that not all hormonal mimics should be included under the single generic denomination of endocrine disruptors.