Dietary intake of 2 random samples of urban and semi-rural populations in Cuba and the former German Democratic Republic were compared. Cuban group consisted of 195 men and 214 women, 25 to 64 years old; the German group were 432 men and 532 women, 25 to 64 years old. Cuban volunteers underwent 24 h dietary recall by a trained interviewer, Germans took part in a 3-day food protocol.