Background: Gym-goers usually seek methods to improve performance, muscle gain, and overall health. One of the main strategies is including food supplements (FS) into their routine as aids to enhance their athletic capabilities and satisfy their nutritional needs. Thus, this study aimed to investigate and characterize the main FS and Sports Foods (SF) currently consumed, as well as the main reasons for their use and the source of advice in a group of gym-goers in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Portugal).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Chronic diseases and polymedication increase the risk of food-drug interactions (FDIs) among the population, negatively impacting health. Nutritionists, as responsible for dietary planning, have a key role in preventing these events.
Aim: To assess the knowledge about FDIs among a sample of Nutrition Sciences Bachelor students.
The role of nutrition in preventing non-communicable diseases has been widely studied in recent years, with indications that non-animal-based diets might improve body composition and therefore bring multiple health benefits. For all of these reasons, the main purpose was to compare body composition and metabolic status between vegetarian and omnivorous individuals and relate these values with cardiovascular risk. The present analysis included 176 participants (61 vegetarians and 115 omnivores).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Skin physiology seems to be influenced by dietary choices and body composition, although links between these factors remain poorly characterised. In the present manuscript, we elaborate on the potential relationships among food groups, body composition and skin physiology in omnivores and vegetarians.
Material And Methods: This cross-sectional observational study involved 181 participants, 129 omnivores and 52 vegetarians.
The concept of "functional foods" converges topics such as diet, food, health, and disease [...
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood Contact Materials (FCM) are those intended to be in contact with food, during its production, handling, and storage. FCM contain chemicals that could migrate to the foodstuff, posing potential health concerns, and usage practices influence the level of migration. This study assesses the preferences, safety perceptions, and usage practices of Portuguese consumers regarding FCM used for cooking and food storage (cookware).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Transitioning to university involves several changes, which might affect dietary habits. The present study aimed to assess the potential relationships involving adherence to the MedDiet, body composition, and metabolic markers within a Portuguese university sample.
Methods: A cross-sectional study involved 70 participants, 52 women, and 18 men (23.
Bioimpedance (BIA) is the most frequently used technology for body composition assessment at a daily clinical level, mostly due to its low price and user-friendly operation. However, many doubts persist regarding its physiological meaning and applicability. The present study aimed to compare one BIA system and the Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) for the characterization of body composition in a previously selected cohort of healthy adult participants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
October 2022
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, university students' eating habits may change due to the stress caused by mandatory full lockdown and social isolation, as well as uncertainty about their academic future. An analysis of 332 Portuguese university students from different areas of study was carried out through an online questionnaire to verify if the lockdown period caused by COVID-19 had any influence on the students' eating habits, as well as if this differed among students from health sciences courses and those from other areas. We found that, compared to a normal semester of classes, during the lockdown period, healthier eating habits were adopted, characterized by a decrease in meal delivery platforms used, self-reported consumption of fast-food, pre-cooked meals, foods rich in sugar and salt, and sugar-sweetened and alcoholic beverages, as well as increased self-reported consumption of vegetables, fruit and legumes, and physical exercise.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Vegetarian and vegan diets have become increasingly popular in the last years for many reasons, including their association with various health benefits when compared to omnivorous diets. The main objective of the study was to collect recent (2015-2021) scientific evidence for potential implications between a vegetarian/vegan diet and an individuals' body composition.
Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, with 22 studies selected for inclusion in our collective evaluation.
Kidney diseases constitute a worldwide public health problem, contributing to morbidity and mortality. The present study aimed to provide an overview of the published data regarding the potential beneficial effects of polyphenols on major kidney diseases, namely acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy, renal cancer, and drug-induced nephrotoxicity. This study consists of a bibliographical review including in vitro and in vivo studies dealing with the effects of individual compounds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBreast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women worldwide, where nutritional intervention should be part of a multidisciplinary lifestyle approach in oncology, promoting therapeutic success. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), along with estrogen, can promote the development of neoplastic cells in breast tissue. Cancers that develop under IGF-1 stimulation are often resistant to therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutrition is an essential factor in the prevention and treatment of some chronic diseases. For this reason, the population must know about nutrition, healthy food, and dietetics so that the promotion of healthier eating habits can lead to a consequent decrease in chronic disease incidence. That said, the present study aimed to assess nutrition literacy in the Portuguese population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe industrial production of wine generates annually tons of waste that can and must be properly reused to reduce its polluting load ad increase the availability of passive ingredients to be used in human nutrition. Grape pomace, a by-product of winemaking, beyond being of nutritional value is a bioactive source with high potential value and benefits for human health. Having as main goal the preliminary perception of the potential use of this by-product, the aim of this study was the characterization of eight different grape pomaces.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Student life during the university period is characterized by many changes in eating behaviors and dietary patterns due to adaptation to a new environment, study stress, lack of proper time management, and busy class schedules. These unhealthy actions may be detrimental to cognitive processing and influence academic performance, which is related to professional success.
Aim: To assess different eating patterns in Portuguese university students and relate them to several sociodemographic variables.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
July 2020
Nowadays the younger generations are moving their food habits from the traditional diet to a Western diet, which is low in fruits and vegetables and high in fat and sugary drinks. University students are a particularly vulnerable population once, with the entrance to university, they are subjected to new influences and responsibilities; in particular, those who live far from their parents' houses are more predisposed to unhealthy eating habits. To assess the influence that admission to university has had on the frequency of intake of certain foods and meals as well as their adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), self-administered questionnaires were applied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe assess the repeatability and relative validity of a Spanish beverage intake questionnaire for assessing water intake from beverages. The present analysis was performed within the framework of the PREDIMED-PLUS trial. The study participants were adults (aged 55-75) with a BMI ≥27 and <40 kg/m², and at least three components of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDear Editor, We read with interest the recently published original article entitled "Beverage Consumption Habits and Association with TotalWater and Energy Intakes in the Spanish Population: Findings of the ANIBES Study" by Nissensohn et al. [1] in Nutrients.[.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The relation between the consumption of sweetened beverages and metabolic syndrome (MetS) is controversial.
Objective: This analysis evaluated the associations between intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), artificially sweetened beverages, and natural and bottled fruit juices and the incidence of MetS in elderly individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and without MetS at baseline.
Methods: We prospectively examined 1868 participants free of MetS at baseline from the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea) study.
Purpose: Very few studies have examined the association between beverage intake patterns and healthy lifestyle characteristics. Most of the research that has been carried out focuses on the consumption of soft drinks or alcohol and ignores the overall beverage pattern. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between consumption of different types of beverage and physical exercise practice and MedDiet adherence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To describe the intake of water and all other fluids and to evaluate the proportion of adults exceeding the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations on energy intake from free sugar, solely from fluids.
Methods: A total of 16,276 adults (46 % men, mean age 39.8 years) were recruited in 13 countries from 3 continents.
Purpose: To evaluate the total fluid intake from drinking water and beverages in adult populations from different countries and assess the percentage of individuals complying with the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) adequate intake (AI) of water from fluids.
Methods: A total of 16,276 adults (7580 men and 8696 women) aged between 18 and 70 years (mean age 39.8 years) were randomly recruited from 13 different countries from three continents.
Introduction: An appropriate magnesium intake has proved to have beneficial effects on bone health, reduce insulin resistance and prevent atherosclerosis.
Objective: To determine the concentration of magnesium in drinking water and bottled mineral water in Spain and assess its daily contribution to dietary recommendations.
Methods: We used ion chromatography to analyse the magnesium concentrations of public drinking waters in a representative sample of 108 Spanish municipalities (supplying 21,290,707 potential individuals) and 109 natural mineral waters sold in Spain (97 Spanish and 12 imported).
Introduction: A sufficient intake of calcium enables correct bone mineralization. The bioavailability of calcium in water is similar to that in milk.
Objective: To determine the concentration of calcium in public drinking water and bottled mineral water.
Introduction: Dietary questionnaires usually only assess the intake of drinks that provide calories, but do not accurately evaluate total fluid or water intake. The evaluation of the fluid consumption pattern of a population has been the main objective of only a very few studies.
Objective: To evaluate the total fluid intake from different types of beverages in Spanish adults.