Arturo Hardisson

The popularity of protein supplements (PS) has increased significantly in recent years. Their use is often undertaken without the supervision of a healthcare professional, which may lead to excessive or inappropriate intake and, consequently, pose a health risk. Objective: To assess knowledge and consumption habits regarding PS among the Spanish population. Material and methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using a digital questionnaire (Google Forms®) among 168 participants aged 15–70 years. Results: Overall, 35.7% of respondents reported consuming PS, with increasing muscle mass being the main reason for consumption among 66.7% of these participants. Although 100% of participants recognised the risks associated with excessive consumption, 26.2% were unaware of the existence of maximum recommended intakes. Among those who were aware of these limits, most believed that the maximum intake was above 30 g of PS per day. Discussion: There is a substantial gap between PS consumption and knowledge of safe intake levels. These findings highlight the need to strengthen the role of community pharmacists as key healthcare professionals in promoting the rational and safe use of PS.

Water for human consumption is the main source of fluoride exposure. The concentration in water should not exceed 1 mg/L of fluoride since, at higher levels; it increases the risk of dental fluorosis, among other adverse effects. The fluoride content of 149 water samples from different aqueducts in Cauca (Colombia) has been determined by ion exchange chromatography with the aim of fluoride risk assessment. The rural area of the Municipality of Santander de Quilichao registered fluoride concentrations between 0.012 and 0.150 mg/L. The urban area of Santander de Quilichao recorded lower fluoride levels than the rural area (0.027–0.068 mg/L). The urban area of the Municipality of Cajibío registered fluoride levels of 0.082–0.186 mg/L. The highest levels of fluoride were found in Timbío (0.121–0.210 mg/L). The fluoride levels recorded in this study are not considered sufficient to trigger dental fluorosis. Likewise, optimal levels are not considered to protect the child population against dental caries. However, a monitoring plan of fluoride concentrations in water should be implemented to assure the quality and safe of the water.

The metallic content in each class of organism varies in different ways, depending on metabolism, habitat behavior, and where it is found in the trophic network. In this study, 845 specimens of different types of marine invertebrate and vertebrate organisms of the Canary Islands have been analyzed, of them the content of 20 metals and trace elements has been analyzed (Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr, V and Zn) in mg / kg. In the PCoA analyzes it is clearly seen how the invertebrate and vertebrate organisms are separated according to their metallic content, there being significant differences between these two groups in each of the trace elements and metals. Invertebrate species having the highest concentration in all metals and trace elements, may have a higher concentration of metals than vertebrates because they have a very fast growth, and with it a high metabolic rate that causes higher concentrations of the elements to bioaccumulate.

The consumption of vegetable sausages or hamburgers is growing. The consumption of this type of product has increased exponentially in recent years for two main reasons: the rejection of meat consumption and the search for healthier foods. Vegetable sausages are relatively new products on the market and, as with other foods, they may contain trace elements, both essential and toxic. Thus, the objective of this work is the determination of the content of trace elements (B, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sr, V, Zn, Al, Cd, Pb) in 67 samples of vegetable sausages and burgers (27 samples of vegetable sausages and 39 samples of vegetable burgers) by means of ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry). The highest trace element levels were found in the sausage’s samples, which remarkably are the Fe (14.1 mg/kg wet weight), Al (5.10 mg/kg ww), and Pb (0.05 mg/kg ww) content. Meanwhile, the levels of Zn (8.35 mg/kg ww), Mn (5.04 mg/kg ww), and Sr (2.77 mg/kg ww) were higher in burger’s samples. The dietary exposure reveals that the consumption of 100 g/day of these products offers an important intake of Fe, Mn, and Cu. About the toxic trace elements, the consumption of the vegetable sausages (100 g/day) represents an intake of 14.6% of the TDI (tolerable daily intake) of Pb and sets in 0.5 μg/kg body weight/day. The consumption of 100 g/day of vegetable sausages and burgers does not pose a health risk. However, a higher consumption can carry a risk; for that reason, it is necessary to set a maximum level of certain elements in this kind of products.

The contents of 3 heavy metals (Al, Cd, and Pb) and 10 trace elements (B, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Ni, Sr, V, Zn) were determined by means of atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES) in 117 specimens of red mullet, Mullus surmuletus. The specimens were taken in two of the Canary Islands; two locations on the island of Tenerife: Candelaria on the northeast coast and Punta de Hidalgo on the north coast and Arguineguín, on the south coast of the island of Gran Canaria. No significant differences were found between the two sites in Tenerife regarding the metal content of the specimens studied, but differences were found between the specimens captured in Arguineguín and the two sites in Tenerife, the latter having higher concentrations of the analyzed metals.

Cheeses are an important source of essential elements. Nevertheless, the level of some metals could pose a health risk. Therefore, the concentration of trace elements and toxic metals (Cr, Cu, Li, Ni, Sr, Pb, Cd, and Al) has been determined in artisanal cheeses from different geographical locations, and the intake of these metals from cheese consumption has been evaluated. The metal concentration was determined in a total of 90 cheese samples from different locations by using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The highest concentration of Al (35.1 ± 4.42 mg/kg, wet weight) was found in artisanal cheeses from Zamora (Spain), followed by Sr (6.85 ± 0.35 mg/kg, wet weight) in artisanal cheeses from Cadiz (Spain). A daily consumption of 23.2 g of cheese provides a significant dietary contribution for Al of 0.82% of its tolerable weekly intake of 1 mg/kg of body weight per week. Canary Islands cheeses have a higher metal content than the non-Canary cheese, which could be because ...