Publications by authors named "Elisa Mazza"

Article Synopsis
  • An improper diet is widely recognized as harmful to health, and nutrition plays a key role in preventing non-communicable diseases, yet the significance of body composition research remains underappreciated.
  • The phenomenon of "osteosarcopenic obesity" particularly affects postmenopausal women and is linked to higher rates of frailty, driven by hormonal changes and the interplay of fat, muscle, and bone.
  • Emphasizing the need for personalized nutritional strategies, the text argues for a gender-specific approach to nutrition that targets visceral fat, enhances protein intake, and optimizes vitamin D levels to combat frailty syndrome effectively.
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Objectives: In an era when telemedicine is becoming increasingly essential, the development and validation of miniaturized Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) devices for accurate and reliable body composition assessment is crucial. This study investigates the BIA Metadieta, a novel miniaturized BIA device, by comparing its performance with that of standard hospital BIA equipment across a diverse demographic. The aim is to enhance remote health monitoring by integrating compact and efficient technology into routine healthcare practices.

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Understanding the intricate relationship between nutrition, hormonal balance, and gender-specific factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions to mitigate obesity-related endocrine disruptions and improve metabolic health. This narrative review examines the impact of various dietary patterns on hormonal regulation in both men and women, focusing on their effects on hormonal balance and metabolic health in the context of obesity. Calorie restriction, the Western diet, high-fat diets, low-CHO diets, plant-based diets, and the Mediterranean diet are analyzed in relation to their influence on obesity-related endocrine disruptions and metabolic health.

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Gut microbiota imbalances have a significant role in the pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Herein, we compared gut microbial composition in patients diagnosed with either IBD or NAFLD or a combination of both. Seventy-four participants were stratified into four groups: IBD-NAFLD, IBD-only, NAFLD-only patients, and healthy controls (CTRLs).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores how dietary patterns, specifically adherence to a Mediterranean diet, relate to muscle health and the risk of sarcopenia in adults over 50 in southern Italy.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 528 participants, measuring muscle strength with handgrip tests and estimating muscle mass through bioelectrical impedance, using a food frequency questionnaire to identify dietary habits.
  • Results revealed that stronger adherence to the Mediterranean diet was linked to better muscle strength and a lower risk of sarcopenia, with significant differences noted in handgrip strength between the highest and lowest adherent groups.
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Objective: Polyphenol intake may prevent hepatic steatosis and cardiovascular disease by potentially improving endothelial function. The purposes of this study are to investigate the association between fatty liver disease and endothelial dysfunction and to test the effects of a nutraceutical containing extracts made from Citrus bergamia and Cynara cardunculus on peripheral vascular endothelial function in adults with liver steatosis.

Methods: We analyzed data from 32 individuals with hepatic steatosis and endothelial dysfunction (reactive hyperemia index ≤ 1.

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Aim: To examine the association between 1-hour plasma glucose (PG) concentration and markers of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) assessed by transient elastography (TE).

Methods: We performed TE in 107 metabolically well-characterized non-diabetic White individuals. Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) was used to quantify liver steatosis, while liver stiffness marker (LS) was used to evaluate fibrosis.

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Introduction: Endometriosis is characterized by ectopic endometrial tissue and severe pain; frequently, women afflicted by this condition resort to non-medical interventions, such as dietary modifications. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of endometriosis on dietary patterns and quality of life.

Methods: An online survey was conducted among Italian women with endometriosis to gather self-reported demographic, clinical, dietary habit, and daily life data post-diagnosis.

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The aim of this study was to assess the available evidence regarding the effect of a variety of fasting-like regimens on preventing chemotherapy-related side effects. PubMed, Scopus and Embase were used to select the studies for this review, which concluded on 24 November 2022. All types of clinical trials and case series reporting chemotherapy toxicity associated with fasting regimens and any comparison were considered.

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Aesthetic and cosmetic medical practices have attracted considerable consumer attention globally. However, possible complications vary and range from mild, self-resolving ecchymoses or edema to more persistent complications. The aim of this review is to identify the nutritional deficits or excesses associated with the major complications of reconstructive surgery, aesthetic surgery, and mini-invasive aesthetic procedures.

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Background: Milk proteins (MPs) and their derivative whey proteins (WPs) are important components of human diet that might prevent bone loss. We aimed to investigate the effects of MP on the bones of postmenopausal women, along with the effects of WP on osteoblast cells. Methods: We conducted a feasibility controlled clinical study with 62 postmenopausal women who were asked to consume an MP-enriched ice cream.

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Background and Objectives: Hyperuricemia and liver steatosis are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and mortality. The use of natural compounds could be a safe and effective alternative to drugs for the treatment of fatty liver and hyperuricemia. Polyphenolic fraction of Citrus Bergamia in association with the extract of Cynara Cardunculus, as nutraceutical, is able to reduce body weight, hepatic steatosis and markers of oxidative stress.

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Background: Currently, there is no approved medication for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease management. Pre-clinical and clinical studies showed that several bioactive molecules in plants or foods (i.e.

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Background and Objectives: Thyroid dysfunction is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but its role in the progression of liver damage in obese patients remains unclear. In addition, several case reports have suggested the existence of a levothyroxine-induced liver injury, which has been poorly investigated. Our aim was to verify whether a difference in the prevalence of liver fibrosis exists in a population of obese individuals taking Levothyroxine.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about various restrictions around the world, and its impact on healthcare has been enormous: RDNs have had to shift from in-person interactions with clients to telenutrition consultations, encountering obstacles. We designed the first survey to investigate the changes in RDN practices related to telenutrition provision after the onset of the pandemic through an online survey in Italy. Four hundred and thirty-six responses were analyzed.

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Context: The role of dietary patterns in the prevention of osteoporosis has been investigated in many studies, but few have examined the association between consumption of specific food and whole-body (WB) bone mineral density (BMD). Recent evidence suggests that whole eggs contain bioactive compounds that could have beneficial effects on BMD. BMD is also expressed as the T-score, which is used for the clinical diagnosis of osteoporosis and to evaluate the effectiveness of drugs.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined how the COVID-19 lockdown affected dietary and alcohol consumption habits, as well as body weight, among Italian university students.
  • Conducted in July 2020 with 520 respondents, findings indicated a shift in eating habits, including increased consumption of homemade foods like bread and pasta, and a mix of healthier and less healthy foods.
  • Approximately 43.8% of students gained weight during lockdown, with higher weight gain observed in males and those classified as obese, emphasizing the need for targeted dietary guidelines to manage weight during isolation.
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Article Synopsis
  • Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease linked to the breakdown of cartilage and bone, with research suggesting that phytochemicals from vegetables, such as those found in hemp seeds, might offer new treatment possibilities.
  • A pilot study investigated the effects of pasta enriched with hemp seed flour on pain relief and bone formation markers in patients recovering from arthroplasty, finding that it significantly reduced pain and improved bone metabolism compared to regular pasta.
  • The study showed that hemp seed extract not only alleviated pain in patients with osteoarthritis but also enhanced bone health at the cellular level, highlighting the need for further research to validate these initial findings.
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Article Synopsis
  • The Mediterranean Diet incorporates the traditional eating habits of people living around the Mediterranean Sea and is linked to lower risks of mortality, cancer, and heart diseases.
  • The study reviews how the Mediterranean Diet may help reduce the risk of COVID-19, highlighting various vitamins and nutrients with potential anti-COVID-19 properties.
  • It suggests that the diet’s benefits on inflammation and the immune system could offer protective effects against the coronavirus, but more research is necessary to confirm these potential advantages.
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Several studies suggest that aging loss of bone mass is not necessarily associated with reduced mechanical proprieties as bending resistance. Since postmenopausal women with fracture and without osteoporosis might have an impairment in the bending mechanisms at hip, our aim was to assess if women with and without fractures differ in the femoral parameters of resistance to bending, independent of the bone loss. In this cross-sectional study we enrolled 192 postmenopausal women who underwent X-ray absorptiometry scan to measure bone mineral density as well as cross-sectional geometry parameters at the hip (Hip structure analysis).

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Nutrition during childhood and adolescence is very important for growth and can have long-term health implications. The COVID-19 lockdown caused significant changes in everyday life, including in children and adolescents. This study evaluated the effects of the first COVID-19 lockdown on eating habits and body weight in children and adolescents.

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Article Synopsis
  • Elderly women are at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), and this study explored how body composition factors like visceral fat and muscle mass relate to this risk.
  • In a group of 159 elderly women, those with lower appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM) showed a significantly higher rate of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and T2D compared to those with normal ASMM.
  • Additionally, women with sarcopenia (low muscle strength and mass) had an even greater incidence of IFG/T2D, indicating that maintaining muscle mass could be important for diabetes prevention in this population.
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Background: Most studies focused on the benefits of lycopene on serum lipids but no studies have been specifically designed to assess the role of a tomato sauce from vine-ripened tomatoes on patients affected by polygenic hypercholesterolemia. The aim of this study was to compare the lipid-lowering effect of a novel functional tomato sauce with a well-known functional food with a lipid-lowering effect, i.e.

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