Prevalent Seasoning and Cooking Fats, Arterial Stiffness and Blood Lipid Pattern in a Rural Population Sample: Data from the Brisighella Heart Study

Nutritional, bioactive components and health properties of the milpa triad system seeds (corn, common bean and pumpkin)

The milpa system is a biocultural polyculture technique. Heritage of Mesoamerican civilizations that offers a wide variety of plants for food purposes. Corn, common beans, and pumpkins are the main crops in this agroecosystem, which are important for people's nutritional and food security. Moreover, milpa system seeds have great potential for preventing and ameliorating noncommunicable diseases, such as obesity, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, among others. This work reviews and analyzes the nutritional and health benefits of milpa system seeds assessed by recent preclinical and clinical trials. Milpa seeds protein quality, vitamins and minerals, and phytochemical composition are also reviewed. Evidence suggests that regular consumption of milpa seeds combination could exert complementing effect to control nutritional deficiencies. Moreover, the combination of phytochemicals and nutritional components of the milpa seed could potentialize their individual health benefits. Milpa system seeds could be considered functional foods to fight nutritional deficiencies and prevent and control noncommunicable diseases.

Relationship Between Dietary Patterns and Chronic Diseases in Rural Population: Management Plays an Important Role in the Link

Objective

Health dietary pattern is related with reduced risk of chronic metabolic disease, but the benefits were not fully clear in the Chinese population. The aim of this study was to explore the association between dietary patterns and multiple chronic metabolic diseases in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

Methods

A total of 718 Chinese adults aged ≥ 45 who lived in the Huairou regions of Beijing were included in the present cross-sectional analysis from 2019 to 2020. Dietary data were obtained by food frequency questionnaires (FFQs). Dietary patterns were identified by principal components analysis (PCA). Logistic regression analysis and hierarchical analysis were used to examine the relationship among dietary patterns, health management, and chronic diseases.

Results

Five dietary patterns were discovered in the subjects. The pattern with the higher percentage of energy supply by lipid was a risk factor for hypertension [odds ratio (OR) = 2.067, p = 0.013]. Lower energy intake (OR = 0.512, p = 0.012) and a reasonable ratio of dietary energy supply (OR = 0.506, p = 0.011) were beneficial to diabetes. The substitution of potato for grain might be an effective way of reducing diabetes (OR = 0.372, p < 0.001). The higher intake of high-quality protein was the protective factor for coronary heart disease (CHD; OR = 0.438, p = 0.008). Moderate intervention (OR = 0.185, p = 0.033) and appropriate health education (OR = 0.432, p = 0.016) could greatly subserve the prevention of chronic diseases, especially for hyperlipidemia. Men were more likely to be affected by health education, intervention, and follow-up than women. The prevalence of multimorbidity was higher in women (43.2%) than men (41.5%). The staple food intake and health management were also important factors to prevent multimorbidity.

Conclusion

Dietary pattern with appropriate energy intake, a reasonable source of energy supply, high quality of macronutrients, and moderate management was associated with decreased risk of chronic metabolic diseases. Further studies are needed to clarify the cause–effect relationship between dietary patterns, health management, and chronic diseases and give suggestions to chronic metabolic disease prevention in middle-aged and elderly people in a rural area.

Therapeutic Properties and Use of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Clinical Nutrition: A Narrative Review and Literature Update

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet (MedD). In this narrative review, we synthesize and illustrate the various characteristics and clinical applications of EVOO and its components—such as oleic acid, hydroxytyrosol, and oleuropein—in the field of clinical nutrition and dietetics. The evidence is split into diet therapy, oleic acid-based enteral nutrition formulations and oral supplementation formulations, oleic acid-based parenteral nutrition, and nutraceutical supplementation of minor components of EVOO. EVOO has diverse beneficial health properties, and current evidence supports the use of whole EVOO in diet therapy and the supplementation of its minor components to improve cardiovascular health, lipoprotein metabolism, and diabetes mellitus in clinical nutrition. Nevertheless, more intervention studies in humans are needed to chisel specific recommendations for its therapeutic use through different formulations in other specific diseases and clinical populations.

Visceral Adiposity Index Plays an Important Role in Prognostic Prediction in Patients With Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background: Visceral adiposity index (VAI), a surrogate marker of adiposity and insulin resistance, has been demonstrated to be significantly related to cardiovascular disease. It remains indistinct whether VAI predicts adverse prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A total of 798 participants who met the enrollment criteria were finally brought into this study. VAI was determined by waist circumference, body mass index, fasting triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol as previously reported. Adverse prognosis included all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal ischemic stroke, and ischemia-driven revascularization, the composite of which was defined as the primary endpoint. Results: Higher VAI maintained as a significant and independent risk predictor for the primary endpoint, regardless of the adjustment for the various multivariate models [hazard ratio (95% CI) for fully adjusted model: 2.72 (2.02-3.68), p < 0.001]. The predictive value of VAI was further confirmed in sensitivity analysis where VAI was taken as a continuous variate. There was a dose-response relationship of VAI with the risk of the primary endpoint (p for overall association < 0.001). Moreover, the ability of VAI on the prediction of the primary endpoint was consistent between subgroups stratified by potential confounding factors (all p for interaction > 0.05). VAI exhibited a significant incremental effect on risk stratification for the primary endpoint beyond existing risk scores, expressed as increased Harrell's C-index, significant continuous net reclassification improvement, and significant integrated discrimination improvement. Conclusion: VAI is a significant indicator for predicting worse prognosis and plays an important role in risk stratification among patients with NSTE-ACS and T2DM undergoing elective PCI. The present findings require further large-scale, prospective studies to confirm.

The Relationship Between Dietary Choices and Health and Premature Vascular Ageing

The paper aims to review the available data about the main mechanisms enabling improvement or accelerating vascular ageing due to food choices, considering recent experimental and clinical data, and emphasising potential implications for clinical practice and therapy. The main food choices which will be discussed are diets rich in fruits and vegetables, the Mediterranean diet, polyunsaturated fatty acids, cocoa, caffeine, tea, meat, dairy products, sodium, and potassium intake.

Migration of Avocado Virgin Oil Functional Compounds during Domestic Cooking of Eggplant

Avocado virgin oil (AVO) was used during eggplant deep-frying, boil, and boil in a water-oil mixture (W/O). There were measured the contents of moisture, dry matter, fat, total (TPC) and ten individual phenols, antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH), and total sterols; as well as the profiles of eight fatty acids and fourteen sterols/stanols. The values of raw and processed foods were compared and studied with multivariate analysis. The antioxidant capacity of AVO lowered after deep frying but augmented in eggplant and water after all treatments. The TPC was steady in AVO and raised in fried eggplant. Thermal treatments added to the initial profiles of the AVO, eggplant and water, nine, eight, and four phenols, respectively. Percentages of the main fatty acids (oleic, palmitic and linoleic), and sterols (β-sitosterol, campesterol, and Δ5-avenasterol), remained unchanged between the raw and treated AVO; and the lipidic fractions from processed eggplant. Cooking leads to the movement of hydrophilic and lipophilic functional compounds between AVO, eggplant and water. Migration of sterols and unsaturated fatty acids from AVO to eggplant during deep frying and W/O boiling improved the functional properties of eggplant by adding the high biological value lipophilic fraction to the naturally occurring polyphenols.

Association of eating out frequency and other factors with serum uric acid levels and hyperuricemia in Chinese population

PURPOSE

A significant shift in meal pattern with frequent eating out was closely associated with multiple chronic outcomes, but with limited evidence on hyperuricemia. We aimed to explore the associations between eating out and serum uric acid (SUA) as well as hyperuricemia.

METHODS

A total of 29,597 participants were recruited from the Henan Rural Cohort Study. A validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to collect dietary data, including the frequency of eating out. Linear regression models were used to examine the association of eating-out frequency with SUA and BMI. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline were performed to assess the association and dose-response relationship between eating-out frequency and hyperuricemia. The mediation effect of BMI between eating out and the risk of hyperuricemia was evaluated.

RESULTS

Eating out was significantly associated with higher SUA levels in the total population and males (P < 0.001). Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CIs) of hyperuricemia were 1.26 (1.09, 1.46) for the total population and 1.18 (1.00, 1.40) for males (≥ 7 times/week vs 0 time/week). A non-linear positive dose-response relationship between eating-out frequency and hyperuricemia was observed. Furthermore, BMI played a partial mediating role in the relationship between eating out frequency and hyperuricemia, which explained 30.7% in the total population and 44.8% in males.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicated that eating out was associated with increased SUA levels and elevated hyperuricemia risk in rural China, especially in males. Moreover, the relationship was partly mediated by BMI.

CLINICAL TRIALS

ChiCTR-OOC-15006699 (2015-07-06).

Laboratory and Instrumental Risk Factors Associated with a Sudden Cardiac Death Prone ECG Pattern in the General Population: Data from the Brisighella Heart Study

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains a daunting problem and a major public health issue. We applied the validated Electrocardiogram (ECG) score to the Brisighella Heart Study (BHS) cohort, in order to verify if there were also other recognized laboratory and instrumental risk factors for cardiovascular disease associated with a sudden death risk-prone pattern. We examined the ECG traces of 1377 participants of the 2016 BHS survey and identified 33 subjects at high risk for SCD (while 1344 subjects had no cumulative ECG abnormalities). Serum uric acid (SUA) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) values were significantly higher in the high-risk cohort (p < 0.05) and were both independently associated with the presence of ECG abnormalities [Odd ratio (OR) = 2.14, p < 0.05–OR = 1.23, p < 0.05, respectively]. A similar independent correlation was found with long-term non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use, more widespread among high-risk subjects (OR = 1.19, p < 0.05). Conversely, the analysis did not show any significant association with impaired renal function (p = 0.09). This study showed that long-term NSAID use and high SUA and cfPWV values are independent risk factors for ECG abnormalities predictive of SCD. These findings herald the need for further prospective research to identify the optimal combination of SCD risk markers in order to prevent fatal events.

COVID-19-Related Quarantine Effect on Dietary Habits in a Northern Italian Rural Population: Data from the Brisighella Heart Study

North of Italy was severely hit by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 19) pandemic. This induced the government to adopt severely restrictive measures to reduce the contagion risk, forcing most of the population to stop working and from leisure activities, and to remain at home for several weeks. Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of COVID-related quarantine on smoking and dietary habits of a well-characterized northern Italian rural population. For this purpose, while lockdown restrictions were in place (February–April 2020), 359 subjects from the Brisighella Heart Study cohort underwent a phone interview about their lifestyle habit changes during COVID-19-related quarantine. Quarantine did not significantly modify smoking habit nor body mass index. Subjects significantly increased daily carbohydrates consumption, all fresh vegetables, healthy vegetable oils, milk and yogurt, alcoholic drinks, sugars and sweets, and coffee. The weekly consumption of low-fat meat, cured meat other than ham, cheeses, eggs, nuts and mixed seed oils significantly increased, while the weekly intake of fish, mussels, and legumes significantly decreased during lockdown. The Dietary Quality Index was reduced from 42.4 ± 4.1 to 37.8 ± 4.7 (p < 0.03). In accordance with our findings, COVID-19-related quarantine might worsen the quality of diet, also leading to an increased intake of almost all food categories.