1. Sulfur content in foods consumed in an Italian population and impact of diet quality on sulfur intake.
- Author
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Passafiume, Agostino, Rossetti, Andrea, Vescovi, Luciano, Malavolti, Marcella, Baraldi, Claudia, Rovesti, Sergio, Vinceti, Marco, and Filippini, Tommaso
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GARLIC , *SULFUR , *FATS & oils , *ITALIAN cooking , *FOOD habits , *ITALIANS - Abstract
Sulfur is an essential nutrient but data about its intake are scarce. We aimed to measure sulfur content in food samples and assess its habitual intake in relation to adherence to healthy dietary patterns in 719 Italian adults. Using a food frequency questionnaire, we estimated overall sulfur intake, and its relation with adherence to healthy dietary patterns. The highest sulfur content was found in preserved/canned fish (3.0 g/kg), seafood (2.8 g/kg), white meat (2.8 g/kg) and dairy products, particularly aged cheeses (2.1 g/kg) and lowest in fresh fruit (87 mg/kg), oils and fats (157 mg/kg), and beverages (141 mg/kg), with the exception of onion and garlic (1.3 g/kg). The mean sulfur intake in the study population was 1.1 g/day, slightly higher in men than women. The foods contributing most to sulfur intake were meat (29%) and cereals (19%), with also substantial contribution (>10%) from beverages and dairy products. Adherence to dietary patterns had little influence on sulfur intake, except for adherence to MIND diet positively and linearly associated with sulfur intake. Our study provides an updated overview of sulfur content in foods composing the Italian diet, as well as of sulfur intake in an Italian community of Northern Italy. • We assessed sulfur content in a wide range of foods consumed in Italian population. • We assessed dietary habits using a validated food frequency questionnaire. • We estimated sulfur intake and adherence to four healthy dietary habits. • Positive association was found between sulfur intake and MIND pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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