Association between dietary variety and anthropometric parameters in community-dwelling older adults: results of a population-based PolSenior study.

Introduction And Objective: Dietary variety (DV) is recognized as a key indicator of diet quality. It is based on the premise that eating a wide variety of foods ensures an adequate intake of essential nutrients which, in turn, leads to better diet quality. The aim of the study is to examine the relationships between DV, diet quality and selected anthropometric parameters in older adults.

Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Different Population Groups in Relation to Lifestyle Factors and Nutritional Knowledge.

Proper nutrition and a balanced diet are factors that influence the growth and development of children and adolescents, as well as body weight and health throughout life [...

Protein intake and bone mineral density: Cross-sectional relationship and longitudinal effects in older adults.

Background: There are several mechanisms via which increased protein intake might maintain or improve bone mineral density (BMD), but current evidence for an association or effect is inconclusive. The objectives of this study were to investigate the association between dietary protein intake (total, plant and animal) with BMD (spine and total body) and the effects of protein supplementation on BMD.

Methods: Individual data from four trials that included either (pre-)frail, undernourished or healthy older adults (aged ≥65 years) were combined.

The Association of Nutrition Quality with Frailty Syndrome among the Elderly.

Low diet quality among the elderly may be correlated with some diseases, including Frailty Syndrome (FS). This decline in function restricts the activity of older people, resulting in higher assistance costs. The aim of this study was to increase knowledge of diet quality predictors.

The Effect of Cement Addition on Water Vapour Resistance Factor of Rammed Earth.

The article aims to determine the effect of cement addition on the water vapour resistance factor of stabilized rammed earth. Literature analysis indicates that different earthen materials show large differences in water vapour resistance factor values. The high diffusion resistance of concrete concerning other construction materials suggests that cement will be one of the factors significantly affecting these values.

Fighting Sarcopenia in Ageing European Adults: The Importance of the Amount and Source of Dietary Proteins.

While an adequate protein intake is important for the maintenance of muscle mass during ageing, the amount and source of protein necessary for optimal prevention of sarcopenia remains to be determined. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of the amount and source of dietary proteins on sarcopenia risk in a cohort of 65-79-year-old European adults within the frame of the NU-AGE study. A total of 986 participants were included in the analysis.

The effect of iron and/or zinc diet supplementation and termination of this practice on the antioxidant status of the reproductive tissues and sperm viability in rats.

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of iron or/and zinc supplementation and termination of this treatment on the antioxidant defence of the male reproductive system and sperm viability in rats.

Methods: The study consisted of 3 stages: I) 4-week adaptation to the diets (C-control or D-iron deficient); II) 4-week iron and/or zinc supplementation (10-times more than in the C diet of iron: CSFe, DSFe; zinc: CSZn, DSZn; or iron and zinc: CSFeZn, DSFeZn; and III) 2-week post-supplementation period (the same diets as during stage I). Parameters of antioxidant status (total antioxidant capacity and SOD, GPx, and CAT activiy), oxidative damage (lipid and protein peroxidation), and sperm viability were measured.

Intake of Vitamins and Minerals From Voluntarily Fortified Foods and/or Dietary Supplements in School Adolescents in Central-Eastern Poland.

The key issue is whether voluntarily fortified foods and vitamin/mineral supplements available on the market serve public health needs. The study aim was to estimate nutrient intakes from voluntarily fortified foods and vitamin/mineral supplements in relation to the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) in adolescents ( = 759) aged 13-19 who attended public secondary schools in Central-Eastern Poland. Data on the consumption of voluntarily fortified foods were collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire containing 58 food items.

Beneficial Role of Replacing Dietary Saturated Fatty Acids with Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Prevention of Sarcopenia: Findings from the NU-AGE Cohort.

Dietary fat subtypes may play an important role in the regulation of muscle mass and function during ageing. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of isocaloric macronutrient substitutions, including different fat subtypes, on sarcopenia risk in older men and women, while accounting for physical activity (PA) and metabolic risk. A total of 986 participants, aged 65-79 years, completed a 7-day food record and wore an accelerometer for a week.

Dietary Fibre May Mitigate Sarcopenia Risk: Findings from the NU-AGE Cohort of Older European Adults.

Sarcopenia is characterised by a progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and physical function as well as related metabolic disturbances. While fibre-rich diets can influence metabolic health outcomes, the impact on skeletal muscle mass and function is yet to be determined, and the moderating effects by physical activity (PA) need to be considered. The aim of the present study was to examine links between fibre intake, skeletal muscle mass and physical function in a cohort of older adults from the NU-AGE study.

Mediterranean diet intervention alters the gut microbiome in older people reducing frailty and improving health status: the NU-AGE 1-year dietary intervention across five European countries.

Objective: Ageing is accompanied by deterioration of multiple bodily functions and inflammation, which collectively contribute to frailty. We and others have shown that frailty co-varies with alterations in the gut microbiota in a manner accelerated by consumption of a restricted diversity diet. The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is associated with health.

One-year Mediterranean diet promotes epigenetic rejuvenation with country- and sex-specific effects: a pilot study from the NU-AGE project.

Mediterranean diet has been proposed to promote healthy aging, but its effects on aging biomarkers have been poorly investigated. We evaluated the impact of a 1-year Mediterranean-like diet in a pilot study including 120 elderly healthy subjects from the NU-AGE study (60 Italians, 60 Poles) by measuring the changes in their epigenetic age, assessed by Horvath's clock. We observed a trend towards epigenetic rejuvenation of participants after nutritional intervention.

Changing from a Western to a Mediterranean-style diet does not affect iron or selenium status: results of the New Dietary Strategies Addressing the Specific Needs of the Elderly Population for Healthy Aging in Europe (NU-AGE) 1-year randomized clinical trial in elderly Europeans.

Background: Mediterranean diets limit red meat consumption and increase intakes of high-phytate foods, a combination that could reduce iron status. Conversely, higher intakes of fish, a good source of selenium, could increase selenium status.

Objectives: A 1-y randomized controlled trial [New Dietary Strategies Addressing the Specific Needs of the Elderly Population for Healthy Aging in Europe (NU-AGE)] was carried out in older Europeans to investigate the effects of consuming a Mediterranean-style diet on indices of inflammation and changes in nutritional status.

A Novel Approach to Improve the Estimation of a Diet Adherence Considering Seasonality and Short Term Variability - The NU-AGE Mediterranean Diet Experience.

In this work we present a novel statistical approach to improve the assessment of the adherence to a 1-year nutritional intervention within the framework of the NU-AGE project. This was measured with a single adherence score based on 7-days food records, under limitations on the number of observations per subject and time frame of intervention. The results of the NU-AGE dietary intervention were summarized by variations of the NU-AGE index as described in the NU-AGE protocol.

Different Socio-Demographic and Lifestyle Factors Can Determine the Dietary Supplement Use in Children and Adolescents in Central-Eastern Poland.

Vitamin/mineral supplement (VMS) use has become increasingly popular in children and adolescents; however, different predictors may be associated with their usage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare determinants of VMS use in 1578 children and adolescents. Data was collected among parents of children (≤12 years old) and among adolescents (>12 years old) who attended public schools by a self-administered questionnaire.

Identification of Pre-frailty Sub-Phenotypes in Elderly Using Metabolomics.

Aging is a dynamic process depending on intrinsic and extrinsic factors and its evolution is a continuum of transitions, involving multifaceted processes at multiple levels. It is recognized that frailty and sarcopenia are shared by the major age-related diseases thus contributing to elderly morbidity and mortality. Pre-frailty is still not well understood but it has been associated with global imbalance in several physiological systems, including inflammation, and in nutrition.

Mediterranean-Style Diet Improves Systolic Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Older Adults.

We aimed to determine the effect of a Mediterranean-style diet, tailored to meet dietary recommendations for older adults, on blood pressure and arterial stiffness. In 12 months, randomized controlled trial (NU-AGE [New Dietary Strategies Addressing the Specific Needs of Elderly Population for Healthy Aging in Europe]), blood pressure was measured in 1294 healthy participants, aged 65 to 79 years, recruited from 5 European centers, and arterial stiffness in a subset of 225 participants. The intervention group received individually tailored standardized dietary advice and commercially available foods to increase adherence to a Mediterranean diet.

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Body Composition Among Healthy Elderly From the European NU-AGE Study: Sex and Country Specific Features.

Body composition (BC) is an emerging important factor for the characterization of metabolic status. The assessment of BC has been studied in various populations and diseases such as obesity, diabetes, endocrine diseases as well as physiological and paraphysiological conditions such as growth and aging processes, and physical training. A gold standard technique for the assessment of human BC at molecular level is represented by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), which is able to precisely assess the body mass (and areal bone mineral density-aBMD) on a regional and whole-body basis.

Changes in Dietary Intake and Adherence to the NU-AGE Diet Following a One-Year Dietary Intervention among European Older Adults-Results of the NU-AGE Randomized Trial.

Background: The Mediterranean Diet has been proposed as an effective strategy to reduce inflammaging, a chronic low grade inflammatory status, and thus, to slow down the aging process. We evaluated whether a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern specifically targeting dietary recommendations of people aged over 65 years (NU-AGE diet) could be effective to shift dietary intake of older adults towards a healthful diet.

Methods: Adults aged 65⁻80 years across five EU-centers were randomly assigned to a NU-AGE diet group or control group.

Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Correlation Between Daily Nutrient Intake Assessed by 7-Day Food Records and Biomarkers of Dietary Intake Among Participants of the NU-AGE Study.

Methods for measuring diet composition and quantifying nutrient intake with sufficient validity are essential to study the association between nutrition and health outcomes and risk of diseases. 7-day food records provides a quantification of food actually and currently consumed and is interesting for its use in intervention studies to monitor diet in a short-term period and to guide participants toward changing their intakes. The objective of this study is to analyze the correlation/association between the daily intake of selected nutrients (collected by a 7-day food records plus a mineral/vitamin supplementation questionnaire) and estimates of energy expenditure as well as blood and urine biomarkers of dietary intakes in 1,140 healthy elderly subjects (65-79 years) at baseline of the NU-AGE intervention study (NCT01754012, clinicaltrials.

Intake of Vitamins and Minerals from Voluntarily Fortified Foods in School Children in Central-Eastern Poland.

Objective: To estimate vitamin and mineral intakes from voluntarily fortified foods (VFFs) in relation to the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) in children aged 6 - 12. The study was conducted among 677 school children from Central-Eastern Poland. Data on VFFs consumption were collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire containing 58 food items available on the Polish market; the content of nutrients in VFFs was estimated using the producers labelling declaration.

Short Telomere Length Is Related to Limitations in Physical Function in Elderly European Adults.

The present study aims to explore the potential influence of leucocyte telomere length (LTL) on both a single indicator and a composite construct of physical functioning in a large European population of elderly men and women across diverse geographical locations. A total of 1,221 adults (65-79 years) were recruited from five European countries within the framework of NU-AGE study. The physical functioning construct was based on the 36-item Short Form Health Survey.

The association between hydration status and cognitive function among free-living elderly volunteers.

Background: Ageing is inevitably associated with a progressive cognitive decline. With the rising percentage of the elderly in society, the number of people with dementia and cognitive impairment increases. Water is a vital ingredient that must be included in the diet.

Are Nutrition-Related Knowledge and Attitudes Reflected in Lifestyle and Health Among Elderly People? A Study Across Five European Countries.

Nutrition-related knowledge (NRK) and nutrition-related attitudes (NRAs) are necessary for dietary changes toward healthier dietary patterns. In turn, healthier dietary patterns can be beneficial in maintaining health of older adults. Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate whether NRK and NRAs were associated with lifestyle and health features among older adults (65+ years) from five European countries (France, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and United Kingdom).

A Mediterranean-like dietary pattern with vitamin D3 (10 µg/d) supplements reduced the rate of bone loss in older Europeans with osteoporosis at baseline: results of a 1-y randomized controlled trial.

Background: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is widely recommended for the prevention of chronic disease, but evidence for a beneficial effect on bone health is lacking.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern [NU-AGE (New Dietary Strategies Addressing the Specific Needs of the Elderly Population for Healthy Aging in Europe)] on indexes of inflammation with a number of secondary endpoints, including bone mineral density (BMD) and biomarkers of bone and collagen degradation in a 1-y multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT; NU-AGE) in elderly Europeans.

Design: An RCT was undertaken across 5 European centers.