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Background and Aims: The role of diet in the aetiology of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is not well understood. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and MetS., Methods and Results: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 808 high cardiovascular risk participants of the Reus PREDIMED Centre. MetS was defined by the updated National Cholesterol and Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. An inverse association between quartiles of adherence to the MedDiet (14-point score) and the prevalence of MetS (P for trend<0.001) was observed. After adjusting for age, sex, total energy intake, smoking status and physical activity, participants with the highest score of adherence to the MedDiet (>/=9 points) had the lowest odds ratio of having MetS (OR [95% CI] of 0.44 [0.27-0.70]) compared to those in the lowest quartile. Participants with the highest MedDiet adherence had 47 and 54% lower odds of having low HDL-c and hypertriglyceridemia MetS criteria, respectively, than those in the lowest quartile. Some components of the MedDiet, such as olive oil, legumes and red wine were associated with lower prevalence of MetS., Conclusion: Higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a significantly lower odds ratio of having MetS in a population with a high risk of cardiovascular disease.

Objectives: To analyze the effect of differing diet on the acid load content on bone metabolism., Design: Multicentric, randomized, single-blind, parallel-group clinical trial., Setting: Outpatient clinics., Participants: Two hundred thirty-eight elderly men and women aged 60 to 80 at high risk for cardiovascular disease were randomly assigned to three interventional groups: a recommended low-fat diet (control diet group), a Mediterranean diet supplemented with virgin olive oil, or a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts., Measurements: Main outcomes were 12-month changes from baseline in bone formation and resorption markers and bone mass measured according to quantitative ultrasound scanning., Results: The baseline data on the anthropometric, bone densitometry, and biochemical variables did not differ between the three groups. Dietary potential renal acid load (PRAL) and daily net endogenous acid production (NEAP) at baseline did not differ between groups. After intervention, subjects allocated to the Mediterranean diet with mixed nuts had a significant increase of PRAL and NEAP. In comparison, subjects in the Mediterranean diet with nuts group had higher parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels (2.63, 95% confidence interval (CI)=-1.01-6.35, P=.02) and a nonsignificantly higher (0.31, 95% CI=-0.13-0.74, P=.14) urine free deoxypyridoxine:creatinine ratio, a marker of bone resorption, than the control group and the Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil group., Conclusion: A Mediterranean dietary pattern associated with a high dietary acid load derived from consumption of mixed nuts does not seem to have a much greater effect on bone metabolism biomarkers, with the exception of PTH levels, than a Mediterranean diet without mixed nuts or a control diet in elderly subjects.

In recent years, nuts have received special attention because of their potential role in preventing cardiovascular disease. Because nuts are very rich in total fat that can potentially be oxidized and their skins contain several antioxidants, studies have been conducted to evaluate the potential effect of nut consumption on oxidative stress. This review evaluates the in vitro and in vivo studies conducted in animals or humans to analyze the effect of nuts on oxidation.

Background: The Mediterranean diet has long been related to a lower cardiovascular disease risk; however, more recent evidences also indicate that it has a favourable effect on adiposity and type 2 diabetes., Design: Review of the available literature in relation to Mediterranean diet and metabolic syndrome., Results: Several components of Mediterranean diet patterns have been inversely related with body mass index. They are considered to be modulators of insulin resistance, can exert beneficial effects on blood pressure, improve atherogenic dyslipidemia or attenuate the inflammatory burden associated with metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome has been associated with dietary patterns rich in fruits and vegetables, nuts, olive oil, legumes and fish, moderate in alcohol and low in red meat, processed meat, refined carbohydrates and whole-fat dairy products., Conclusions: There is much evidence suggesting that the Mediterranean diet could serve as an anti-inflammatory dietary pattern, which could help to fight diseases related to chronic inflammation, including metabolic syndrome.

Background: Overweight and eating disorder (ED) are major public health problems in adolescents., Aims: To assess the association of overweight, body composition and anthropometric characteristics with the probability being at risk of ED., Methods: A two-phase study was used. 329 girls and 96 boys (aged 12-18 years) from an initial sample of 2967 adolescents were studied. The BMI, percentage of fat mass estimated by bioimpedance (FM(BIA)), waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHipr) were calculated. The Eating Attitudes Test, Youth's Inventory-4 and a questionnaire to evaluate social influences were administered., Results: A total of 34.7% of girls and 53.6% of boys at risk of ED were overweight (including obesity). For girls, overweight frequency was significantly higher in risk ED group than in control group. Increases of one point in the BMI or FM(BIA) increased the probability of being at risk of ED by 12% (3.0-19.0) and 4% (0.0-8.0), respectively. An increase in WHipr was negatively associated with ED risk. Smoking and symptoms of dysthymia and the genralized anxiety disorder also increase the probability of being at risk of ED in adolescent girls. In adolescent boys, these relations were not observed., Conclusions: The higher BMI and the percentage of FM(BIA) are associated with greater risk of ED in adolescent girls, when psychological factors are present. Increases in the WHipr, characteristic of childhood body is negatively associated with that risk.

Background: To evaluate the plausibility of self-reported energy intake, Goldberg et al proposed a technique to identify the miss-reporters., Subjects: After screening 2,967 adolescents by EAT-40 test, 132 at risk of ED and 151 as a control group were studied., Aim: To determine whether subjects at risk of eating disorders that are identified as under reporters can be considered as UR or in turn as restrained eaters., Methods: We determined dietary energy intake, body mass index, body satisfaction, physical activity, psychopathology, dietary restraint factor, weight loss and diagnoses of eating disorders. We applied Goldberg's equations to identify under reporters., Results: 40.9% of girls at risk of eating disorders were identified as under reporters and only 7.3% were in the control group. A total of 64.4% of the Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified were under reporters. The body mass index of under reporters was significantly higher than in the other of subjects regardless of whether they were at risk of eating disorders. Girls at risk of eating disorders and under reporter had significantly lower body satisfaction than other groups. Multiple logistic regressions in all subjects showed that the risk of being UR was associated with an increase in the body mass index, increase in dietary restraint scores and weight loss; whereas, that only the body mass index was associated with the control group., Conclusion: The prevalence of under reporter increases with the severity of the eating disorders several adolescent girls at risk of eating disorder and identified by Goldberg cut-off technique as under reporter may to be restricting their intake and therefore they would not be under reporter.

The excellent quality of the Mediterranean Diet, apart from other products, is associated to a high consumption of fish. Epidemiological studies have shown over time certain beneficial effects of fish consumption in the prevention of chronic diseases. The specific components found in fish, the long chain omega 3 eicosapentanoic and docosahexanoic fatty acids, have been identified as the principle elements responsible for this protective effect in Mediterranean populations. There is also evidence for a relationship between elevated fish consumption and reduced cardiovascular mortality, especially in populations at greater risk for this disease or those with high fatty fish intakes. Moreover, fish consumption of > or = 3.5 servings/week appears to have a protective effect against certain site specific cancers, and is also associated with a number of lifestyle factors. It's been shown that this protective effect is reduced in those who smoke, consume alcohol, are less physically active and who consume fish preserved in salt. However, these preventive effects are seen fundamentally when lipid profiles approximate those typical of the Mediterranean Diet, which is also rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. In light of new evidence, current nutritional objectives for the Spanish population recommend that polyunsaturated fatty acids account for 5% of total calories, with an omega6:omega3 ratio ranging from 6/1 to 10/1.