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The aim of this study was to examine associations between vitamin E status and cognitive performance in elderly people. The study subjects were a group of 34 men and 86 women, aged 65-91 y, who were free of significant cognitive impairment. Dietary intake was monitored using a 'weighed food record' for 5 consecutive days including a Sunday. Serum levels of [alpha]-tocopherol and cholesterol were determined by HPLC and colorimetric methods, respectively. The cognitive capacity of subjects was tested using the Pfeiffer's Mental Status Questionnaire (PMSQ). Subjects with vitamin E intakes lower than 50% of those recommended had higher PMSQ scores, demonstrating a greater number of errors in comparison to participants with a greater intake of the vitamin (0.91 [+ or -] 1.22 vs. 0.47 [+ or -] 0.60, respectively, P < 0.05). Subjects who made no errors in the PMSQ test had significantly higher serum [alpha]-tocopherol concentrations (19.7 [+ or -] 8.6 [micro]mol/L in men and 20.0 [+ or -] 8.4 [micro]mol/L in women) and [alpha]-tocopherol/cholesterol ratios (3.5 [+ or -] 2.0 [micro]mol/mmol in men 2.9 [+ or -] 1.4 [micro]mol/mmol in women) compared with those who made errors ([alpha]-tocopherol 15.1 [+ or -] 5.6 [micro]mol/L in men and 14.9 [+ or -] 6.1 [micro]mol/L in women; [alpha]-tocopherol/cholesterol ratio 2.4 [+ or -] 0.8 and 2.3 [+ or -] 1.3 [micro]mol/mmol in men and women, respectively). This study shows there to be a relationship between vitamin E status and cognitive function, and that vitamin E status could be improved in this population of elderly individuals. KEY WORDS: * vitamin E * elderly people * [alpha]-tocopherol * intake * cognitive function

Excessive salt intake has negative effects on health and persists as a dietary problem in Spanish children. However, the analysis of dietary sodium sources has not been extensively studied. A group of 321 children between 7 and 11 years old from five Spanish regional communities was studied. A three-day dietary record was used to determine the contribution of food and beverages to dietary sodium intake. The food consumed was classified based on the level of processing (NOVA classification) and the nutritional profile. Boys consumed more dietary sodium and sodium from ultra-processed food (UPF) than girls (p < 0.05). The main sources of dietary sodium from discretionary food were meat and meat products (25.1%), some ready-to-eat and pre-cooked dishes (7.4%) and sugars and sweets (6.3%). More than 4/5 of the total dietary sodium consumed came from processed foods (PF) and UPF. Ready-to-eat and pre-cooked dishes (14.4%), meat and meat products (10.6%), and cereals (10.2%) were the most relevant UPF. These results demonstrate that a key point for Spanish children is a reduction in the sodium content in PF and UPF, whether these foods are for basic or discretionary consumption. Furthermore, a decrease in the frequency and the quantity of discretionary food consumption should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]