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Purpose: The objective is to evaluate the association between various indicators of alcohol consumption and the degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet among the Spanish adult population. Methods: A cross-sectional study including 44,834 participants ≥ 15 years of age from the 2017 National Health Survey and the 2020 European Health Survey in Spain. Alcohol patterns were defined based on (1) average intake: individuals were classified as low risk (1–20 g/day in men and 1–10 g/day in women) and high risk (> 20 g/day in men or > 10 g/day in women), (2) binge drinking, and (3) alcoholic beverage preference. Non-adherence to the Mediterranean diet was defined as scoring < 7 points on an adapted Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener index (range 0–10). Odds ratios (OR) were estimated using logistic regression models adjusted for relevant covariates. Results: Compared to non-drinkers, low and high-risk drinkers were more likely to report non-adherence to the Mediterranean diet: ORs 1.35 (95% CI 1.23; 1.49) and 1.54 (95% CI 1.34; 1.76), respectively. Similarly, reports of binge drinking less than once a month was associated with higher likelihood of non-adherence (OR 1.17; 95% CI 1.04; 1.31). Individuals reporting no preference for a specific beverage and those with a preference for beer or for spirits had lower adherence: ORs 1.18 (95% CI 1.05; 1.33), 1.31 (95% CI 1.17; 1.46), and 1.72 (95% CI 1.17; 2.54), respectively, while a preference for wine showed no association (OR 1.01; 95% CI 0.90; 1.13). Conclusion: Alcohol consumption, even in low amounts, is associated with lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Therefore, alcoholic beverages should not be included in measures that define the Mediterranean diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Increased awareness of the importance of dietary fibre has led to increased interest in 'functional' fibre components like digestion-resistant maltodextrin (RMD). This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study assessed the effects of RMD in the colonic transit time (CTT) and defecation characteristics (frequency, stool volume and consistency). Methods: Sixty-six healthy adult volunteers (32 men) who did not have a daily defecation habit had a 7-day run-in period before the 21-day intervention period with RMD or placebo. CTT and segmental CTT (SCTT) were assessed by a single abdominal X-ray film taken at the end of both periods after radiopaque marker ingestion. Defecation characteristics and intestinal functions were also assessed, which were self-reported by patients. Intragroup comparisons were evaluated by Student's paired t test, Bonferroni test and Chi-square test, while time comparisons by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and time-by-treatment interaction by repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Fifty-seven subjects were assessed for CTT (placebo, n = 28; RMD, n = 29). In the RMD group, the total CTT, left SCTT and rectosigmoidal SCTT decreased significantly compared to baseline ( p < 0.01 each; −13.3, −4.7, −8.7 h, respectively). Significant differences between groups were observed in total CTT and left SCTT. Significant time-by-treatment interaction was observed in the RMD group for stool volume ( p = 0.014), increasing 56 % compared to baseline ( p < 0.01), while remained unchanged in the placebo group. Stool consistency was improved only in the RMD group ( p < 0.01). No adverse effects related to study products were observed. Conclusions: The results show that RMD improved CTT, stool volume, stool consistency and some intestinal functions in a healthy population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the association between dietary glycaemic index (GI) and dietary glycaemic load (GL) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in a rural elderly population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 343 subjects (60-74 years) residing in a Spanish rural area (Priego de Córdoba). Subjects were selected using stratified random sampling. Food intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We assigned GI values to each item of the FFQ to estimate dietary GI and GL. Multivariate linear regression models were fitted to assess the association between GI/GL with CVD risk factors (blood glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A1, body mass index, waist circumference and blood pressure). The potential modifying effect of sex, smoking status, diabetes and medication has been explored. Results: A statistically significant inverse association between dietary GI and blood glucose was found in the multivariate model ( p = 0.029): for every 10 unit increment of GI, serum glucose levels decreased by 0.2 units. However, statistical significance was lost after controlling for diabetes or hypoglycaemic medication. In the crude model, dietary GL was associated with triglycerides ( ß for every 10 GL units increase = 0.70, p = 0.005), but statistical significance was lost in the multivariate model ( p = 0.508). No associations were found between dietary GI/GL and the rest of the variables studied. Conclusions: Neither dietary GI nor GL were associated with CVD risk factors in the study population of Priego de Córdoba. Results obtained suggest the necessity to consider the diagnosis of diabetes in these studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is limited prospective evidence at population scale of the impacts of lifestyle and surrogate measures of general and abdominal adiposity on the transition of a metabolically healthy (absence of a metabolic disorder) overweight/obese (MHOO) phenotype to a metabolically abnormal overweight/obese (MAOO) phenotype. Therefore, we determined the relationship between 10-year body mass index (BMI), waist circumferences (WC), waist to height ratio (WHtR), and lifestyle changes and the transition of the MHOO phenotype. Methods: We conducted a prospective population-based study of 3,052 male and female Spaniards aged 25-74 years who were followed from 2000 through 2009. Diet and leisure-time physical activity were recorded on validated questionnaires. Weight, height, WC, blood lipids, glycemia, and blood pressure were measured. All variables were obtained at baseline (BL) and follow-up (FL). Participants with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m and free from hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, diabetes, hypertension, and low HDL and high LDL cholesterol levels were characterized as the MHOO phenotype. A composite healthy lifestyle index (HLI) was constructed by including temporary changes in 3 lifestyle variables (diet, leisure-time physical activity, and smoking). Results: Initially, 20.8 % of subjects had the MHOO phenotype; 49.2 % of these shifted to MAOO phenotype. In multivariate analysis, changes in BMI, WC, WHtR were positively associated ( p = 0.004, p = 0.018, and p = 0.016, respectively) with this transition. One unit increase in the HLI was associated with a 33 % lower risk ( p = 0.025) to the MAOO phenotype transition after adjusting for age, sex, educational level, and baseline energy intake, BMI, WC, and WHtR. Conclusions: The presence of metabolic disorders in the MHOO phenotype is predicted by an increase in anthropometric surrogate measures of general and abdominal adiposity. In contrast, a healthy lifestyle protects against a transition to the MAOO phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is a very common disorder in elderly, especially in those institutionalized. Nutrition could play an important role in the onset and/or progression of depression, since the intake of carbohydrates with a high glycaemic index (GI) or diets with a high glycaemic load (GL) may increase the insulin-induced brain serotonin secretion. Objective: The aim of our study was to analyse the association between dietary GI and GL and the odds of suffering depression in institutionalized elderly people without antidepressant treatment. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 140 institutionalized elderly people from the Madrid region (Spain) (65-90 years of age) whose diets were recorded using a precise weighing method over seven consecutive days. Energy and nutrient intakes were recorded and the GI and GL calculated. The participants' affective capacity was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Subjects were grouped into non-depressed (GDS ≤ 5) and depressed (GDS > 5). Since GDS scores and gender were statistically associated ( p < 0.01), the data were grouped considering this association. Results: Dietary GI (51.09 ± 3.80) and GL (97.54 ± 13.46) were considered as medium. The dietary GL was significantly higher in the non-depressed (100.00 ± 12.13) compared with the depressed group (93.97 ± 14.04, p < 0.01). However, a similar GI was observed between non-depressed (51.50 ± 3.29) and depressed groups (50.52 ± 4.46). Additionally, participants with a dietary GL placed in the second and third tertiles had a 67.4 % and 65.3 %, respectively, less odds of suffering depression than those in the first tertile. GDS scores and dietary GL were inversely related; therefore, an increase in one unit in the dietary GL scale decreased the GDS score by 0.058 units. Conclusions: Glyaemic load is associated with a lower odd of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the effect of the daily intake of a fruit & vegetable soup with high in vitro bioaccessibility of carotenoids on β-carotene and lycopene serum concentrations. Methods: Fourteen healthy young men (24 ± 1 years) received 300 mL/day of a carrot, tomato, and broccoli soup, containing 3.9 mg β-carotene and 4 mg lycopene, for 4 weeks followed by a 4-week washout period. The serum carotenoid response and oxidative markers were analyzed after 3 and 4 weeks of soup consumption and after a 4-week washout. Results: The in vitro bioaccessibility of β-carotene and lycopene was 55 and 43%, respectively, in the soup. Serum β-carotene concentrations were significantly higher than baseline (0.33 ± 0.05 μmol/L) after 3 weeks (0.69 ± 0.06 μmol/L) and 4 weeks (0.78 ± 0.10 μmol/L) of soup consumption ( P < 0.001). Serum lycopene was also significantly higher compared with baseline levels (0.26 ± 0.08-0.56 ± 0.04 μmol/L and 0.60 ± 0.04 μmol/L, after 3 and 4 weeks, respectively) ( P < 0.001). Although the highest concentration of both carotenoids was found after 4 weeks, the levels were not statistically different from the levels at 3 weeks. A 4-week washout significantly decreased serum carotenoid concentrations, although only β-carotene returned to baseline. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) increased significantly after soup supplementation compared with baseline, while superoxide dismutase was significantly lower only after 3 weeks. Glutathione reductase, lipid, protein, and DNA oxidative markers remained unchanged. Conclusions: The soup contributed to increasing the concentration of each carotenoid by more than 100% after 3 and 4 weeks of consumption, the maximum increase being observed after 4 weeks. Oxidative markers did not show any variation except for GPx. Serum lycopene half-life was longer than that of β-carotene, which may be important for studies evaluating both carotenoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the association between vitamin D status and the serum lipid profile in children. Methods: The subjects of this cross-sectional study were 149 Spanish school children (8-13 years of age). The anthropometric data collected were weight and height, from which the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured by chemiluminescent assay. Triglycerides were determined by enzyme colorimetry; total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were determined by the cholesterol esterase method. The LDL-cholesterol concentrations were determined mathematically. Results: Compared to children with serum 25(OH)D concentrations in the fourth quartile, those in the first had higher triglyceride (86.0 ± 35.7 vs. 64.1 ± 26.7 mg/dL; p < 0.05). After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and physical activity, the serum 25(OH)D level was found to be inversely proportional to the triglyceride ( r = −0.857; p = 0.010). While age, sex, BMI, and physical activity explained 12% of the variance of the HDL-cholesterol figures, the inclusion of serum 25(OH)D allowed 23% of the variance to be explained. Conclusion: A low serum vitamin D levels in children is associated with high triglyceride levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]