Emotional and Uncontrolled Eating Mediate the Well-Being–Adiposity Relationship in Women but Not in Men Maria Diez-Hernández, Isabella Parilli-Moser, María Fernanda Zerón-Rugerio, Maria Izquierdo-Pulido Nutrients, 2026 Background/Objectives: Sex and gender influence dietary habits, eating behaviors, mental health, and obesity risk. Women exhibit a higher prevalence of emotional eating and mental health problems, which may contribute to sex-specific differences in adiposity. This study aimed to explore the associations between adiposity, diet quality, eating behaviors, mental health, and well-being, and to examine whether eating behaviors mediate the relationship between mental health and adiposity, stratified by sex. Methods: One hundred twenty-three adults (35.6 ± 7.9 years; 63.4% women) with overweight and obesity participated in this cross-sectional study. Adiposity parameters (BMI, body fat, waist and hip circumferences), biochemical parameters, eating behaviors (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R21), well-being (WHO-5), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), diet quality (17-item MedDiet questionnaire), and physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) were evaluated. Linear regression and path analyses were used to examine associations and mediation effects. Results: Women reported higher emotional eating and cognitive restraint scores (p = 0.017 and p = 0.034, respectively) and greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet (p < 0.001) than men. In men, well-being was positively associated with diet quality, while higher stress, cognitive restraint, and poorer diet quality were linked to greater adiposity. In women, well-being and diet quality were inversely associated with adiposity, while emotional and uncontrolled eating were related to higher adiposity and poorer biochemical markers. Emotional and uncontrolled eating mediated the relationship between well-being and adiposity only in women. Conclusions: Our results underscore the importance of incorporating sex- and gender-sensitive approaches in obesity prevention and treatment. For women, interventions should focus on emotional regulation and coping strategies, whereas for men, improving diet quality may be more effective.
Unveiling the Impact of Peanut Consumption on Telomere Length in Young and Healthy Individuals: Insights from the ARISTOTLE Study: A Randomized Clinical Trial Daniel Torres-Oteros, Isabella Parilli-Moser, Emily P. Laveriano Santos, Nerea Becerra-Tomás, Héctor Sanz-Lamora, Sara Hurtado-Barroso, Diego Haro, Pedro F. Marrero, Rosa M. Lamuela-Raventos, Joana Relat, Silvia Canudas Antioxidants, 2025 Diet is a potential modulator of telomere length (TL), but the impact of individual dietary components, such as nuts, on TL in young, healthy individuals remains underexplored. Peanuts are rich in bioactive compounds that may influence TL. Therefore, to fill this gap of knowledge, this study aimed to investigate the effect of peanut consumption on TL in this specific population. Fifty-eight young, healthy individuals were randomized to one of three different intervention groups for 6 months each: (1) 25 g/day of skin-roasted peanuts (SRP); (2) 32 g/day of peanut butter (PB); (3) 32 g/day of a control butter (CB) (based on peanut oil). TL was measured by quantitative real-time PCR in saliva at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Our findings revealed significant between-group differences in TL changes, particularly between the SRP and CB groups over 6 months (mean difference: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.01, 1.05; p-value = 0.048). No significant difference was observed between PB and CB groups (mean difference: 0.12; 95% CI: –0.42, 0.66; p-value = 0.66). This study provides novel insights into the impact of peanut consumption on TL maintenance in young and healthy individuals. The findings highlight the potential benefits of incorporating peanuts into the diet as a means of promoting cellular health and longevity. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and validate these findings across diverse populations and longer time frames.
Microbial phenolic metabolites are associated with better frontal lobe cognition Inés Domínguez-López, Isabella Parilli-Moser, Anna Vallverdú-Queralt, Anna Tresserra-Rimbau, Cinta Valls-Pedret, Zenaida Vázquez-Ruiz, Olga Castañer, Ramon Estruch, Emili Ros, Rosa M. Lamuela-Raventós Food Science and Human Wellness, 2024 With increasing life expectancy, neurodegenerative diseases have become one of the leading causes of ill-health in the elderly. Preventive strategies include following healthy diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, which is particularly rich in polyphenols, bioactive compounds with neuroprotective properties. The aim of this study was to assess the association of microbial phenolic metabolites (MPM) with cognition. This cross-sectional analysis was performed with 200 participants of the PREDIMED trial (Barcelona-Clinic recruitment center). A novel method based on liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was used to identify urinary MPM (protocatechuic acid, enterodiol glucuronide, enterolactone glucuronide, urolithin B glucuronide, and vanillic acid glucuronide), and cognitive function was evaluated with neuropsychological tests. Multivariable-adjusted ordinary least squares regression was used to assess the associations between cognitive function and MPM, and a score was calculated as the weighted sum of MPM. A higher MPM score was associated with better frontal lobe function. Among individual metabolites, vanillic acid glucuronide was correlated with frontal cognitive performance. Participants with higher concentrations of vanillic acid glucuronide and urolithin B glucuronide obtained better scores in the Color Trail Test part 2. A higher score for urinary multi-MPM was associated with better frontal cognitive performance in an older Mediterranean population.
Unlocking the power of polyphenols: A promising biomarker of improved metabolic health and anti-inflammatory diet in adolescents Camila Arancibia-Riveros, Inés Domínguez-López, Emily P. Laveriano-Santos, Isabella Parilli-Moser, Anna Tresserra-Rimbau, Ana María Ruiz-León, Emilio Sacanella, Rosa Casas, Ramón Estruch, Patricia Bodega, Mercedes de Miguel, Amaya de Cos-Gandoy, Jesús Martínez-Gómez, Gloria Santos-Beneit, Juan M. Fernández-Alvira, Rodrigo Fernández-Jiménez, Rosa M. Lamuela-Raventós Clinical Nutrition, 2024
Microbial Phenolic Metabolites Are Associated with Improved Cognitive Health Inés Domínguez‐López, Polina Galkina, Isabella Parilli‐Moser, Camila Arancibia‐Riveros, Miguel Ángel Martínez‐González, Jordi Salas‐Salvadó, Dolores Corella, Mireia Malcampo, J. Alfredo Martínez, Lucas Tojal‐Sierra, Julia Wärnberg, Jesús Vioque, Dora Romaguera, José López‐Miranda, Ramon Estruch, Francisco J. Tinahones, José Manuel Santos‐Lozano, Lluís Serra‐Majem, Aurora Bueno‐Cavanillas, Josep A. Tur, María Rubín‐García, Xavier Pintó, Fernando Fernández‐Aranda, Miguel Delgado‐Rodríguez, Ana Barabash‐Bustelo, Josep Vidal, Clotilde Vázquez, Lidia Daimiel, Emilio Ros, Estefania Toledo, Alessandro Atzeni, Eva M. Asensio, Natàlia Vera, Antonio Garcia‐Rios, Laura Torres‐Collado, Napoleón Pérez‐Farinós, Marian Zulet, Alice Chaplin, Rosa Casas, Sandra Martín‐Peláez, Jessica Vaquero‐Luna, Ana Maria Gómez‐Pérez, Zenaida Vázquez‐Ruiz, Sangeetha Shyam, Carolina Ortega‐Azorín, Natàlia Talens, Patricia J. Peña‐Orihuela, Alejandro Oncina‐Canovas, Javier Diez‐Espino, Nancy Babio, Montserrat Fitó, Rosa M. Lamuela‐Raventós Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 2024 ScopeDiets rich in polyphenols has been associated with better cognitive performance. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between microbial phenolic metabolites (MPM) in urine and cognition in the context of an older population at high cardiovascular risk.Methods and resultsA cross‐sectional analysis is conducted in 400 individuals of the PREDIMED‐Plus study. Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry is used to identify urinary MPM. Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) adherence is estimated with a 17‐item questionnaire and cognitive function is evaluated with a battery of neuropsychological tests. Multivariable‐adjusted linear regression models are fitted to assess the relationship of urinary MPM with the MedDiet and cognitive tests. Protocatechuic acid and enterolactone glucuronide are associated with higher adherence to the MedDiet. Regarding cognitive function, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid glucuronide, 3‐hydroxybenzoic acid, enterodiol glucuronide, and enterolactone glucuronide are directly associated with a global composite score of all the cognitive tests. Furthermore, protocatechuic acid and enterolactone glucuronide are associated with higher scores in the Mini‐Mental State Examination, whereas enterodiol glucuronide is associated with improved Clock Drawing Test scores.ConclusionsThese results suggest that the MedDiet is linked to MPM associated with better cognitive performance in an older population.
Consumption of peanut products enhances the production of microbial phenolic metabolites related with memory and stress response: Results from the ARISTOTLE trial Isabella Parilli-Moser, Ricardo López-Solís, Inés Domínguez-López, Anna Vallverdú-Queralt, Sara Hurtado-Barroso, Rosa M Lamuela-Raventós Journal of Functional Foods, 2023 Based on evidence demonstrating that gut microbiota can metabolize dietary polyphenols to more readily absorbable phenolic acids, this study aimed to evaluate the association of urinary microbial phenolic metabolites (MPMs) related to peanut intake with memory function and stress response. A total of 63 healthy young adults from a randomized controlled trial completed the intervention, consuming 25 g of skin roasted peanuts, 32 g of peanut butter, or 32 g of a control butter daily for six months. Cognition and mood were assessed using validated tests. Urinary cortisol was quantified by an enzymatic method and MPMs were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Lignans and hydroxybenzoic acids with significantly higher post-intervention levels were correlated with improved cognition and mood in peanut product consumers. These findings suggest that peanut and peanut butter consumption may contribute to the production of MPMs involved in the improvement of memory.
Urinary Phenolic Metabolites Associated with Peanut Consumption May Have a Beneficial Impact on Vascular Health Biomarkers Isabella Parilli-Moser, Inés Domínguez-López, Anna Vallverdú-Queralt, Sara Hurtado-Barroso, Rosa Lamuela-Raventós Antioxidants, 2023 Phenolic compounds in peanuts may moderate inflammation and endothelial function. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association of urinary phenolic metabolites (UPMs) with vascular biomarkers after peanut product consumption. A three-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted in 63 healthy young adults who consumed 25 g/day of skin roasted peanuts (SRP), 32 g/day of peanut butter (PB), or 32 g/day of a control butter for six months. UPMs were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Additionally, urinary eicosanoids, prostacyclin I2 (PGI2), and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) were determined using two competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Consumers of SRP and PB presented significantly higher excretion of UPMs (enterodiol glucuronide (p = 0.018 and p = 0.031), 3-hydroxybenzoic acid (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001), vanillic acid sulfate (p = 0.048 and p = 0.006), p-coumaric acid (p = 0.046 and p = 0.016), coumaric acid glucuronide I (p = 0.001 and p = 0.030) and II (p = 0.003 and p = 0.036), and isoferulic acid (p = 0.013 and p = 0.015) in comparison with the control group. An improvement in PGI2 (p = 0.037) levels and the TXA2:PGI2 ratio (p = 0.008) was also observed after the peanut interventions compared to the control. Interestingly, UPMs with significantly higher post-intervention levels were correlated with an improvement in vascular biomarkers, lower TXA2 (r from −0.25 to −0.48, p < 0.050) and TXA2:PGI2 ratio (r from −0.25 to −0.43, p < 0.050) and higher PGI2 (r from 0.24 to 0.36, p < 0.050). These findings suggest that the UPMs with higher excretion after peanut product consumption could have a positive impact on vascular health.
Total urinary polyphenols and ideal cardiovascular health metrics in Spanish adolescents enrolled in the SI Program: a cross-sectional study Emily P. Laveriano-Santos, Camila Arancibia-Riveros, Isabella Parilli-Moser, Sonia L. Ramírez-Garza, Anna Tresserra-Rimbau, Ana María Ruiz-León, Ramón Estruch, Patricia Bodega, Mercedes de Miguel, Amaya de Cos-Gandoy, Vanesa Carral, Gloria Santos-Beneit, Juan M. Fernández-Alvira, Rodrigo Fernández-Jiménez, Rosa M. Lamuela-Raventós Scientific Reports, 2022 To study the relationship between urinary total polyphenol excretion (TPE) in adolescents and ideal cardiovascular (CVH) metrics. 1151 adolescents aged 12.04 (0.46) years participating in the SI! Program for Secondary Schools were selected based on the availability of urine samples and information required to assess CVH metrics. Data on health behaviours (smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, and healthy diet) and health factors (blood pressure, total cholesterol, and blood glucose) were used to calculate the CVH metrics. TPE in urine was analysed by a Folin-Ciocalteu method after solid-phase extraction. Associations between TPE (categorized into tertiles) and CVH metrics (total and separate scores) were assessed using multilevel mixed-effect regression models. Higher TPE levels were associated with higher (healthier) CVH scores and ideal smoking status (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.10; 1.87, p value = 0.007), physical activity (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02; 1.23, p value = 0.022) and total cholesterol (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.16; 2.73, p value = 0.009) after multivariate adjustment. An association between TPE and total CVH scores was observed only in boys. Girls with higher TPE had higher rates of ideal total cholesterol and blood pressure. According to our findings, higher urinary TPE is related to better CVH scores, with relevant differences in this association by gender.
One-Year Changes in Urinary Microbial Phenolic Metabolites and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes—A Case-Control Study María Marhuenda-Muñoz, Inés Domínguez-López, Emily P. Laveriano-Santos, Isabella Parilli-Moser, Cristina Razquin, Miguel Ruiz-Canela, Francisco Javier Basterra-Gortari, Dolores Corella, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Montserrat Fitó, José Lapetra, Fernando Arós, Miquel Fiol, Lluis Serra-Majem, Xavier Pintó, Enrique Gómez-Gracia, Emilio Ros, Ramon Estruch, Rosa M. Lamuela-Raventós Antioxidants, 2022 The intake of polyphenols has been associated with a risk reduction of type 2 diabetes. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, the molecules that might be metabolically active after ingestion are only starting to be investigated regarding this metabolic disease. To investigate the association between one-year changes in urinary microbial phenolic metabolites (MPM) and the incidence of type 2 diabetes, we performed a case-control study using data and samples of the PREDIMED trial including 46 incident type 2 diabetes cases of 172 randomly selected participants. Eight urinary MPMs were quantified in urine by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and used to assess their associations with type 2 diabetes risk by multivariable logistic regression models. Compared to participants in the lowest tertile of one-year changes in hydroxybenzoic acid glucuronide, those in the highest tertile had a significantly lowered probability of developing type 2 diabetes (OR [95% CI], 0.39 [0.23–0.64]; p < 0.001 for trend). However, when additionally adjusting for fasting plasma glucose, the statistical significance was lost. Changes in the dietary pattern can increase the concentrations of this compound, derived from many (poly)phenol-rich foods, and might be changing the gut microbial population as well, promoting the production of the metabolite.
Effect of Peanut Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Randomized Clinical Trial and Meta-Analysis Isabella Parilli-Moser, Sara Hurtado-Barroso, Marta Guasch-Ferré, Rosa M. Lamuela-Raventós Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022 Although numerous studies have reported the protective effect of nut consumption on cardiovascular risk, evidence for the role of peanuts in maintaining cardiometabolic health is inconclusive. Presented here are the results from the ARISTOTLE study, a parallel randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of regular peanut intake on anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical measurements. The 63 healthy subjects that completed the study consumed their habitual diet plus either: a) 25 g/day of skin roasted peanuts (SRP, n = 21), b) two tablespoons (32 g)/day of peanut butter (PB, n = 23) or c) two tablespoons (32 g)/day of a control butter based on peanut oil (CB, n = 19) for 6 months. In addition, a meta-analysis of clinical trials, including data from the ARISTOTLE study, was carried out to update the evidence for the effects of consuming peanuts, including high-oleic peanuts, and peanut butter on healthy subjects and those at high cardiometabolic risk. After a systematic search on PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Scopus databases up to July 2021, 11 studies were found to meet the eligibility criteria. In the ARISTOTLE study, lower total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratios were found in the SRP group compared to the CB group (p = 0.019 and p = 0.008). The meta-analysis of clinical trials revealed that peanut consumption is associated with a decrease in triglycerides (MD: −0.13; 95% CI, −0.20 to −0.07; p &lt; 0.0001) and that healthy consumers had lower total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratios compared to the control groups (MD: −0.40; 95% CI, −0.71 to −0.09; p = 0.01 and MD: −0.19; 95% CI, −0.36 to −0.01; p = 0.03, respectively). However, individuals at high cardiometabolic risk experienced an increase in body weight after the peanut interventions (MD: 0.97; 95% CI, 0.54 to 1.41; p &lt; 0.0001), although not in body fat or body mass index. According to the dose-response analyses, body weight increased slightly with higher doses of peanuts. In conclusion, a regular consumption of peanuts seems to modulate lipid metabolism, reducing triglyceride blood levels.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://osf.io/jx34y/, identifier: 10.17605/OSF.IO/MK35Y.
Urinary tartaric acid, a biomarker of wine intake, correlates with lower total and ldl cholesterol Inés Domínguez-López, Isabella Parilli-Moser, Camila Arancibia-Riveros, Anna Tresserra-Rimbau, Miguel Angel Martínez-González, Carolina Ortega-Azorín, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Olga Castañer, José Lapetra, Fernando Arós, Miquel Fiol, Lluis Serra-Majem, Xavier Pintó, Enrique Gómez-Gracia, Emilio Ros, Rosa M. Lamuela-Raventós, Ramon Estruch Nutrients, 2021
