[Determination of factors conditioning adherence and accomplishment of renal protection diet in patients with chronic renal failure: pilot study for the elaboration of a dietary guideline]. / Determinación de los factores condicionantes en la adhesión y cumplimiento de la dieta de protección renal en pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica: estudio previo para la elaboración de una guía dietética.

There are seldom studies on dietary behavior of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). The aim of this study has been to know, by means of a previously validated questionnaire, which are the psycho-sociocultural factors that affect, and to what extent, assumption and adherence the dietary therapy while determining the degree of disease perception and several factors related with it. The study population is comprised by 81 patients from the nephrology clinic of the "12 de Octubre" Hospital of Madrid, with CRF in a pre-dialysis status. Seventy-seven point seventy-four percent answered "well" or "very well" to questions relating to disease knowledge and perception. Emotional and auto-management factors have little relevance according to 69.87% of patients. Fifty-nine point twenty-six percent feel a high level of familial support, and 35.77% alters dietary behavior when environmental conditions change. Most of the interviewees (87.65%) do not have difficulties finding the prescribed foods, and 70.37% considers their cost is not excessive. For almost half of the patients (48.76%), renal protection diet represents a variation in their dietary habits, a similar percentage expresses difficulty with elaboration. Food palatability is not a problem in 67.90% of the cases. Fifty-one point twenty-four percent does not perceive difficulty with cooking procedures. Seventy point ninety-nine percent feels support in one way or the other, by health care staff, although just 56.79% reports that the diet has not been explained to them. Only 18.51% questions the diet effectiveness as regards to their disease course. As for the gender variable, there were significant differences (p < 0.05), with a higher influence on men, in sections relating to disease knowledge, and influence of apathy and family support, the women those having the highest scores for food management, diet transgression at family meetings, and less information received about the prescribed diet. As for family support, there are significant differences only by age groups, patients aged more than 65 years being those feeling more this psychological support. The group of patients with a creatinine clearance less than 25 mL/min is the one expressing less categorically their appreciation on diet effectiveness. There are factors in which significant difficulty percentages are observed and that may induce diet transgression, in some cases without the patient being completely aware of, such as environmental changes, change in traditional habits, the degree of diet explanation, the organoleptic characteristics, and the lack of knowledge of appropriate cooking procedures. All these indicators confirm the need for enhancing nutritional education of these patients and their family environment, also showing the need for a nutritional intervention that completely supports patients in the process of adaptation and maintenance of their new dietary habit.

Hábitos de consumo de productos apícolas en un colectivo de ancianos / Consumption habits of apiary products in an elder collective

The aim of this study was to analyse the consumption habits of bee products such as: honey, bee pollen, royal jelly and propolis in the elderly of different places of Spain. Honey is an energetic food of its own, and it can also help to overcome several diseases; due to its components that have a beneficial effect in our health. These facts turn honey into a valuable constituent of one's nutrition specially in ancient people. This report demonstrates the knowledge and consumption habits of these persons. Date came from a questionnaire about preferences, places where they buy these products, time and amount of consumption, knowledge of the quality of these products, etc. The results suggest that the vast majority of the people inquired are regular consumers of honey and we also would like to underline the high rate of knowledge of its nutritional value and its medicinal qualities. However, most of the elderly inquired do not know about other apiary products such as bee propolis.

The importance of bee-collected pollen in the diet: a study of its composition.

In this article the content of macronutrients and the calorific value of 15 commercial samples of pollen is presented. This bee-collected product can be a good complement to our daily diet due to the interesting proportions of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, especially these last two.

[Consumption habits of apiary products in an elder collective]. / Hábitos de consumo de productos apícolas en un colectivo de ancianos.

The aim of this study was to analyse the consumption habits of bee products such as: honey, bee pollen, royal jelly and propolis in the elderly of different places of Spain. Honey is an energetic food of its own, and it can also help to overcome several diseases; due to its components that have a beneficial effect in our health. These facts turn honey into a valuable constituent of one's nutrition specially in ancient people. This report demonstrates the knowledge and consumption habits of these persons. Date came from a questionnaire about preferences, places where they buy these products, time and amount of consumption, knowledge of the quality of these products, etc. The results suggest that the vast majority of the people inquired are regular consumers of honey and we also would like to underline the high rate of knowledge of its nutritional value and its medicinal qualities. However, most of the elderly inquired do not know about other apiary products such as bee propolis.

Mineral content of commercial pollen.

Pollen is a natural product which is extending its marketing day by day, given that it is considered to be a dietetic product and it is consumed everyday by a broad sector of the Spanish population. In its composition it presents valuable nutrients, among which we can find minerals, which is the main object of this study. We have analysed sodium, potassium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese and zinc in 15 pollen samples which correspond to different brands. The technique we have used is atomic absortion spectroscopy. The results show us the great potassium contribution of this natural product, with values over 400 mg/100 g, and about microelements, mainly iron and zinc, although with different results, depending on the brand which markets it, with average values of 4.01 +/- 1.00 and 3.66 +/- 1.02, respectively.