Diet Quality in Pregnancy: A Focus on Requirements and the Protective Effects of the Mediterranean Diet

Abstract. Results of epidemiologic studies and clinical trials have shown that subjects following the Mediterranean diet had lower inflammatory markers such as homocysteine (Hcy). Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess female diet quality with the Mediterranean diet quality index (MDQI) and to determine the correlation between MDQI, homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 levels in the blood. The study participants were 237 apparently healthy women (96 of reproductive age and 141 postmenopausal) between 25 and 93 years. For each participant, 24-hour dietary recalls for 3 days were collected, MDQI was calculated, and plasma Hcy, serum and erythrocyte folate and vitamin B12 levels were analysed. Total MDQI ranged from 8 to 10 points, which represented a medium-poor diet for the subjects. The strength of correlation using biomarkers, regardless of group type, age, gender and other measured parameters, was ranked from best (0.11) to worst (0.52) for olive oil, fish, fruits and vegetables, grains, and meat, in this order. Hcy levels showed the best response among all markers across all groups and food types. Our study shows significant differences between variables of the MDQI and Hcy levels compared to levels of folate and vitamin B12 in participants with medium-poor diet quality, as evaluated according to MDQI scores.

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High Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Is Associated with a Reduced Risk of Obesity among Adults in Gulf Countries

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13030995 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 995

Author(s):

Israa M. Shatwan ◽

Eiman A. Alhinai ◽

Balqees Alawadhi ◽

Shelini Surendran ◽

Najlaa M. Aljefree ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Total Sample ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Inverse Association ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Hip Circumference ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Gulf Countries ◽

The Mean ◽

The Mediterranean

The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is considered as a good example of a healthy dietary pattern that has protective effects on obesity. The aim of the present study was to assess the adherence of adults from three Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait) to the MedDiet and its association with obesity risk. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 961 men and women (75.7%) aged 20–55 years old. Waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC) were measured waist/hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. A validated 14-item Questionnaire was used to measure adherence to MedDiet. The mean of the adherence to MedDiet score was 5.9 ± 2.03 for the total sample. An inverse association was observed between the adherence to MedDiet and BMI after adjusting for potential confounders (p = 0.0003 in total participants, and p = 0.001 in women only). A protective effect was seen with a higher adherence to the MedDiet on HC, suggesting that a greater adherence to the MedDiet was associated with a decreased HC (p = 0.04 in total participants, and p = 0.01 in women only). In conclusion, low adherence to the MedDiet among participants from three gulf countries was associated with increased obesity indicators, BMI, and HC.

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Association between Depression, Lifestyles, Sleep Quality, and Sense of Coherence in a Population with Cardiovascular Risk

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13020585 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 585

Author(s):

Aina Riera-Sampol ◽

Miquel Bennasar-Veny ◽

Pedro Tauler ◽

Mar Nafría ◽

Miquel Colom ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Sense Of Coherence ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Related ◽

The Mediterranean

People with cardiovascular risk have more depression than the general population. Depression and cardiovascular risk have been commonly linked to lower sense of coherence (SOC) values, unhealthy lifestyles, and poor sleep quality. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between depression, health-related lifestyles, sleep quality, and SOC in a population with cardiovascular risk. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 310 participants (aged 35–75 years) with cardiovascular risk. Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics, cardiovascular risk, SOC score, depression levels, sleep quality, and lifestyles (physical activity, diet quality (measured as the adherence to the Mediterranean diet), and tobacco and alcohol consumption) were determined. The regression analysis showed significant associations between depression levels and sex (odds ratio (OR): 2.29; 95% CI: 1.29, 4.07), diet (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.99), body mass index (BMI) (OR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.12), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (OR: 2.55; 95% CI: 1.18, 5.48), sleep quality (OR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.46), and SOC (OR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.94, 0.98). Protective effects of male sex, a lower BMI, no CVD, a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet, a high sleep quality, and a higher SOC were found. In conclusion, among lifestyles determined, only diet was associated with depression levels. SOC and sleep quality were also found as significant predictors for depression levels.

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Science and Healthy Meals in the World: Nutritional Epigenomics and Nutrigenetics of the Mediterranean Diet

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12061748 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 1748 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Fabio Caradonna ◽

Ornella Consiglio ◽

Claudio Luparello ◽

Carla Gentile

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Cooking Methods ◽

Intangible Cultural Heritage ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Positive Health ◽

Food Components ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact ◽

Scientific Topic

The Mediterranean Diet (MD), UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, has become a scientific topic of high interest due to its health benefits. The aim of this review is to pick up selected studies that report nutrigenomic or nutrigenetic data and recapitulate some of the biochemical/genomic/genetic aspects involved in the positive health effects of the MD. These include (i) the antioxidative potential of its constituents with protective effects against several diseases; (ii) the epigenetic and epigenomic effects exerted by food components, such as Indacaxanthin, Sulforaphane, and 3-Hydroxytyrosol among others, and their involvement in the modulation of miRNA expression; (iii) the existence of predisposing or protective human genotypes due to allelic diversities and the impact of the MD on disease risk. A part of the review is dedicated to the nutrigenomic effects of the main cooking methods used in the MD and also to a comparative analysis of the nutrigenomic properties of the MD and other diet regimens and non-MD-related aliments. Taking all the data into account, the traditional MD emerges as a diet with a high antioxidant and nutrigenomic modulation power, which is an example of the “Environment-Livings-Environment” relationship and an excellent patchwork of interconnected biological actions working toward human health.

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The Reliability of the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) Questionnaire

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu9040419 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 419 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Lovro Štefan ◽

Rebeka Prosoli ◽

Dora Juranko ◽

Marko Čule ◽

Ivan Milinović ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Quality Index ◽

Diet Quality Index ◽

The Mediterranean

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Diet quality evaluated with the DQI-I and adherence to the Mediterranean diet in a Mediterranean sample of adolescents

Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.3233/mnm-160066 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 137-147 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. Ferranti ◽

M. Antoci ◽

G. Giorgianni ◽

F. Nolfo ◽

S. Rametta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Diet Quality ◽

The Mediterranean

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MEDITERRANEAN DIET AND ADOLESCENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

European Journal of Special Education Research ◽

10.46827/ejse.v6i2.3206 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Chrisi Mavrovounioti ◽

Eleni Fotiadou ◽

Eirini Koidou ◽

Souzana Papadopoulou ◽

Eirini Argiriadou

Keyword(s):

Social Sciences ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Adult Life ◽

Diet Patterns ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Education School ◽

The Mediterranean

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the adoption of Mediterranean diet in adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The sample of the study consisted of 24 adolescents (8 boys and 16 girls) with intellectual disabilities who were studying at a secondary education school, with an average age of 17.63+2.018 years. For data collection, the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Children and Adolescents (KIDMED) by Serra-Majem et al. (2004) was used. KIDMED is supported by specific principles sustaining traditional healthy Mediterranean dietary patterns. KIDMED is based on a 16-item food consumption log questionnaire that can be answered either self-administered or in interview. As for the pupils with intellectual disabilities, the answers were recorded in an individual interview. For the statistical analysis the Statistical Package for Social Sciences ver. 23.0 for windows was used. Data processing showed that over the 1/3 of adolescents with intellectual disabilities (37.5%) has a very low diet quality, while the proportion of adolescents following an optimal Mediterranean diet was zero. In addition, the diet of the adolescents with intellectual disabilities in a very large proportion (62.5%) needs improvement for the adaptation of the consumption / intake to Mediterranean patterns. The results show that adolescents with intellectual disabilities do not follow the Mediterranean diet. Therefore, priority should be given to the application and implementation of health educational programs on diet in general, and more specifically on the benefits of Mediterranean diet to adolescents with intellectual disabilities, in order to adopt the Mediterranean diet patterns aiming on the beneficial effects, both directly and long-term in their adult life. Article visualizations:<img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0606/a.php" alt="Hit counter" />

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The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) and Nutrition Knowledge

The Mediterranean Diet ◽

10.1016/b978-0-12-407849-9.00011-7 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 115-122

Author(s):

Semra Akar Sahingoz

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Quality Index ◽

Nutrition Knowledge ◽

Diet Quality Index ◽

The Mediterranean

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Effectiveness of A Multifactorial Intervention in Increasing Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2: A Controlled and Randomized Study (EMID Study)

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11010162 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 162 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Rosario Alonso-Domínguez ◽

Luis García-Ortiz ◽

Maria Patino-Alonso ◽

Natalia Sánchez-Aguadero ◽

Manuel Gómez-Marcos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Randomized Study ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Controlled Clinical Trial ◽

Multifactorial Intervention ◽

The Mediterranean

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is recognized as one of the healthiest dietary patterns and has benefits such as improving glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Our aim is to assess the effectiveness of a multifactorial intervention to improve adherence to the MD, diet quality and biomedical parameters. The EMID study is a randomized and controlled clinical trial with two parallel groups and a 12-month follow-up period. The study included 204 subjects between 25–70 years with T2DM. The participants were randomized into intervention group (IG) and control group (CG). Both groups received brief advice about healthy eating and physical activity. The IG participants additionally took part in a food workshop, five walks and received a smartphone application for three months. The population studied had a mean age of 60.6 years. At the 3-month follow-up visit, there were improvements in adherence to the MD and diet quality of 2.2 and 2.5 points, compared to the baseline visit, respectively, in favour of the IG. This tendency of the improvement was maintained, in favour of the IG, at the 12-month follow-up visit. In conclusion, the multifactorial intervention performed could improve adherence to the MD and diet quality among patients with T2DM.

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Influence of Parental Healthy-Eating Attitudes and Nutritional Knowledge on Nutritional Adequacy and Diet Quality among Preschoolers: The SENDO Project

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu10121875 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1875 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Andrea Romanos-Nanclares ◽

Itziar Zazpe ◽

Susana Santiago ◽

Lucía Marín ◽

Anaïs Rico-Campà ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Nutrition Knowledge ◽

Eating Attitudes ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Nutritional Knowledge ◽

Nutritional Adequacy ◽

Parental Nutrition ◽

The Mediterranean

Parental nutrition knowledge and attitudes play a fundamental role in their children’s food knowledge. However, little is known about their influence on their children’s diet quality and micronutrient intake. Thus, we aimed to assess the association of parental nutrition knowledge and healthy-eating attitudes with their children’s adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern and micronutrient adequacy. Parental healthy-eating attitudes and knowledge of the quality of their child’s diet as well as anthropometric, lifestyle, and nutrient intake characteristics were recorded with a basal questionnaire that included a 140-item-food frequency-questionnaire. A total of 287 pre-school children were included in the analyses. Intake adequacy was defined using the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) cut-off point method. We developed a parental nutrition knowledge and healthy-eating attitudes scores and evaluated whether they were independently associated with 1) children’s inadequate intake (probability of failing to meet ≥3 EAR) of micronutrients, using logistic regression analyses, and 2) children’s diet quality (adherence to the Mediterranean Diet according to a Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and adolescents, the KIDMED index), using multiple linear regression models. A higher score in the parental healthy-eating attitudes score was associated with lower risk of failing to meet ≥3 EAR compared with the reference category (odds ratio (OR): 0.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12–0.95; p for trend: 0.037) and a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the most adjusted model (β coefficient: 0.34; 95% CI 0.01–0.67; p for trend: 0.045). Our results suggest a positive association of parental healthy-eating attitudes with nutritional adequacy and diet quality in a sample of Spanish preschoolers. Public health strategies should focus on encouraging parental healthy-eating attitudes rather than simply educating parents on what to feed their children, recognizing the important influence of parental behavior on children’s practices.

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