Emilia Ruggiero
@neuromed.it
IRCCS Neuromed
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Epidemiology, Nutrition and Dietetics
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Claudia Francisca Martinez, Emilia Ruggiero, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Simona Esposito, Simona Costanzo, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano, Licia Iacoviello, Marialaura Bonaccio,et al.
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Abstract Background Breakfast quality, together with regularity of breakfast, has been suggested to be associated with cardiometabolic health advantages. We aimed to evaluate the quality of breakfast and its socioeconomic and psychosocial correlates in a large sample of the Italian population. Methods Cross-sectional analyses on 7,673 adult and 505 children/adolescent regular breakfast eaters from the Italian Nutrition & Health Survey (INHES; 2010-2013). Dietary data were collected through a single 24-h dietary recall. Breakfast quality was assessed through the Breakfast Quality Index (BQI) combining intake of ten food groups, energy, and nutrients of public health concern, and potentially ranging from 0 to 10. The association of sociodemographic and psychosocial factors with BQI were analyzed by multivariable-adjusted linear regression models. Results The average BQI was 4.65 (SD ± 1.13) and 4.97 (SD ± 1.00) in adults and children/adolescents, respectively. Amongst adults, older age (β = 0.19; 95%CI 0.06 to 0.31 for > 65 vs. 20–40 years) and having a high educational level (β = 0.13; 0.03 to 0.23; for postsecondary vs. up to elementary) were independent predictors of better breakfast quality, while men reported lower BQI (β = -0.08; -0.14 to -0.02 vs. women). Perceived stress levels at home and work and financial stress were inversely associated with BQI. Children/adolescents living in Central and Southern Italian regions had lower BQI compared to residents in Northern Italy (β = -0.55; -0.91 to -0.19 and β = -0.24; -0.47 to -0.01, respectively). Conclusions In adults, breakfast quality was associated with age, sex, and educational level. Perceived stress levels were inversely associated with the quality of breakfast. In children/adolescents, a north-south gradient in breakfast quality was observed.
Marialaura Bonaccio, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Simona Costanzo, Emilia Ruggiero, Simona Esposito, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano, and Licia Iacoviello
Elsevier BV
Damiano Baldassarre, Licia Iacoviello, Roberta Baetta, Maria Carla Roncaglioni, Gianluigi Condorelli, Giuseppe Remuzzi, Gianfranco Gensini, Luigi Frati, Walter Ricciardi, Pier Giulio Conaldi,et al.
BMJ
IntroductionPrevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is of key importance in reducing morbidity, disability and mortality worldwide. Observational studies suggest that digital health interventions can be an effective strategy to reduce cardiovascular (CV) risk. However, evidence from large randomised clinical trials is lacking.Methods and analysisThe CV-PREVITAL study is a multicentre, prospective, randomised, controlled, open-label interventional trial designed to compare the effectiveness of an educational and motivational mobile health (mHealth) intervention versus usual care in reducing CV risk. The intervention aims at improving diet, physical activity, sleep quality, psycho-behavioural aspects, as well as promoting smoking cessation and adherence to pharmacological treatment for CV risk factors. The trial aims to enrol approximately 80 000 subjects without overt CVDs referring to general practitioners’ offices, community pharmacies or clinics of Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care (Italian acronym IRCCS) affiliated with the Italian Cardiology Network. All participants are evaluated at baseline and after 12 months to assess the effectiveness of the intervention on short-term endpoints, namely improvement in CV risk score and reduction of major CV risk factors. Beyond the funded life of the study, a long-term (7 years) follow-up is also planned to assess the effectiveness of the intervention on the incidence of major adverse CV events. A series of ancillary studies designed to evaluate the effect of the mHealth intervention on additional risk biomarkers are also performed.Ethics and disseminationThis study received ethics approval from the ethics committee of the coordinating centre (Monzino Cardiology Center; R1256/20-CCM 1319) and from all other relevant IRBs and ethics committees. Findings are disseminated through scientific meetings and peer-reviewed journals and via social media. Partners are informed about the study’s course and findings through regular meetings.Trial registration numberNCT05339841.
Marialaura Bonaccio, Simona Costanzo, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Alessandro Gialluisi, Emilia Ruggiero, Amalia De Curtis, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano,et al.
Elsevier BV
Marialaura Bonaccio, Emilia Ruggiero, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Claudia Francisca Martínez, Simona Esposito, Simona Costanzo, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano, and Licia Iacoviello
MDPI AG
Late eating is reportedly associated with adverse metabolic health, possibly through poor diet quality. We tested the hypothesis that meal timing could also be linked to food processing, an independent predictor of health outcomes. We analysed data on 8688 Italians (aged > 19years) from the Italian Nutrition & HEalth Survey (INHES) established in 2010–2013 throughout Italy. Dietary data were collected through a single 24 h dietary recall, and the NOVA classification was used to categorize foods according to increasing levels of processing: (1) minimally processed foods (e.g., fruits); (2) culinary ingredients (e.g., butter); (3) processed foods (e.g., canned fish); (4) ultra-processed foods (UPFs; e.g., carbonated drinks, processed meat). We then calculated the proportion (%) of each NOVA group on the total weight of food eaten (g/d) by creating a weight ratio. Subjects were classified as early or late eaters based on the population’s median timing for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In multivariable-adjusted regression models, late eaters reported a lower intake of minimally processed food (β = −1.23; 95% CI −1.75 to −0.71), a higher intake of UPF (β = 0.93; 0.60 to 1.25) and reduced adherence to a Mediterranean Diet (β = −0.07; −0.12 to −0.03) as compared to early eaters. Future studies are warranted to examine whether increased UPF consumption may underpin the associations of late eating with adverse metabolic health reported in prior cohorts.
Claudia F. Martínez, Simona Esposito, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Simona Costanzo, Emilia Ruggiero, Amalia De Curtis, Mariarosaria Persichillo, James R. Hébert, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati,et al.
MDPI AG
Chronological age (CA) may not accurately reflect the health status of an individual. Rather, biological age (BA) or hypothetical underlying “functional” age has been proposed as a relevant indicator of healthy aging. Observational studies have found that decelerated biological aging or Δage (BA-CA) is associated with a lower risk of disease and mortality. In general, CA is associated with low-grade inflammation, a condition linked to the risk of the incidence of disease and overall cause-specific mortality, and is modulated by diet. To address the hypothesis that diet-related inflammation is associated with Δage, a cross-sectional analysis of data from a sub-cohort from the Moli-sani Study (2005–2010, Italy) was performed. The inflammatory potential of the diet was measured using the Energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DIITM) and a novel literature-based dietary inflammation score (DIS). A deep neural network approach based on circulating biomarkers was used to compute BA, and the resulting Δage was fit as the dependent variable. In 4510 participants (men 52.0%), the mean of CA (SD) was 55.6 y (±11.6), BA 54.8 y (±8.6), and Δage −0.77 (±7.7). In a multivariable-adjusted analysis, an increase in E-DIITM and DIS scores led to an increase in Δage (β = 0.22; 95%CI 0.05, 0.38; β = 0.27; 95%CI 0.10, 0.44, respectively). We found interaction for DIS by sex and for E-DIITM by BMI. In conclusion, a pro-inflammatory diet is associated with accelerated biological aging, which likely leads to an increased long-term risk of inflammation-related diseases and mortality.
Simona Esposito, Marialaura Bonaccio, Emilia Ruggiero, Simona Costanzo, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Alessandro Gialluisi, Vincenzo Esposito, Gualtiero Innocenzi, Sergio Paolini, Chiara Cerletti,et al.
Elsevier BV
Simona Esposito, Emilia Ruggiero, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Simona Costanzo, Marialaura Bonaccio, Francesca Bracone, Vincenzo Esposito, Gualtiero Innocenzi, Sergio Paolini, Chiara Cerletti,et al.
Frontiers Media SA
IntroductionCentral nervous system (CNS) tumors are severe health conditions with increasing incidence in the last years. Different biological, environmental and clinical factors are thought to have an important role in their epidemiology, which however remains unclear.ObjectiveThe aim of this pilot study was to identify CNS tumor patients’ subtypes based on this information and to test associations with tumor malignancy.Methods90 patients with suspected diagnosis of CNS tumor were recruited by the Neurosurgery Unit of IRCCS Neuromed. Patients underwent anamnestic and clinical assessment, to ascertain known or suspected risk factors including lifestyle, socioeconomic, clinical and psychometric characteristics. We applied a hierarchical clustering analysis to these exposures to identify potential groups of patients with a similar risk pattern and tested whether these clusters associated with brain tumor malignancy.ResultsOut of 67 patients with a confirmed CNS tumor diagnosis, we identified 28 non-malignant and 39 malignant tumor cases. These subtypes showed significant differences in terms of gender (with men more frequently presenting a diagnosis of cancer; p = 6.0 ×10−3) and yearly household income (with non-malignant tumor patients more frequently earning ≥25k Euros/year; p = 3.4×10−3). Cluster analysis revealed the presence of two clusters of patients: one (N=41) with more professionally active, educated, wealthier and healthier patients, and the other one with mostly retired and less healthy men, with a higher frequency of smokers, personal history of cardiovascular disease and cancer familiarity, a mostly sedentary lifestyle and generally lower income, education and cognitive performance. The former cluster showed a protective association with the malignancy of the disease, with a 74 (14-93) % reduction in the prevalent risk of CNS malignant tumors, compared to the other cluster (p=0.026).DiscussionThese preliminary data suggest that patients’ profiling through unsupervised machine learning approaches may somehow help predicting the risk of being affected by a malignant form. If confirmed by further analyses in larger independent cohorts, these findings may be useful to create potential intelligent ranking systems for treatment priority, overcoming the lack of histopathological information and molecular diagnosis of the tumor, which are typically not available until the time of surgery.
Giorgia Vici, Alice Rosi, Donato Angelino, Valeria Polzonetti, Francesca Scazzina, Nicoletta Pellegrini, Daniela Martini, Margherita Dall’Asta, Stefania Moccia, Daniele Nucci Veneto,et al.
Elsevier BV
Sukshma Sharma, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Simona Costanzo, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Teresa Panzera, Emilia Ruggiero, Amalia De Curtis, Marianna Storto, Pierpaolo Cavallo, Francesco Gianfagna,et al.
Informa UK Limited
Abstract Evidence on habitual Mediterranean diet (MD) and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and COVID-19 is limited. 1,520 participants from the Moli-sani Study (2017-2020) were tested during January-September 2021 and adherence to MD was ascertained through the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS). SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were determined through serology, and previous clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 disease was self-reported. Results were presented as odd ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The MDS was not associated with the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR= 0.94; 95% CI: 0.83–1.06) and COVID-19 (OR= 0.82; 95% CI: 0.62–1.10) diagnosis. High consumption of cereals was associated with lower odds of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.83–1.00; for each 25 g/d increase). Likelihood of having being diagnosed with COVID-19 disease decreased in association with increasing olive oil intake (OR= 0.10; 95% CI: 0.01–0.79; for each additional 10 g/d), moderate alcohol consumption (OR= 0.18; 95% CI: 0.04–0.82) and higher intakes of fruits and nuts (OR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.79–0.99). Our findings emphasise the adoption and maintenance of a balanced MD as a key strategy to reduce the risk of future SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19.
Emilia Ruggiero, Simona Esposito, Simona Costanzo, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Marianna Storto, Ettore Carpineta, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Sergio Paolini, Vincenzo Esposito,et al.
MDPI AG
Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds endowed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We sought to examine the association of dietary polyphenols with the risk of severe lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), a condition possibly characterized by a high inflammatory component. A case-control study included 156 patients with LSS and indication to surgery and 312 controls, matched (1:2) for sex, age (±6 months), and physical activity. The polyphenol intake was calculated by matching food consumption data from a 188-item food frequency questionnaire with the Phenol-Explorer database regarding the polyphenol content of each reported food. In a multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis including lifestyles, sociodemographic factors, and the Mediterranean Diet Score, a 1-standard deviation (SD) increase in dietary polyphenols intake was associated with lower odds of LSS (Odds ratio [OR] = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.47–0.89). Analyses of different polyphenol classes showed that a per 1-SD in the consumption of flavonoids and stilbenes was related to lower LSS risk (OR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.42–0.78; OR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.27–0.61, respectively). Further adjustment for the total dietary antioxidant capacity did not modify the strength of these associations. A diet rich in polyphenols is independently associated with a lower risk of severe LSS, possibly through mechanisms that include the anti-inflammatory potential of these bioactive compounds.
Emilia Ruggiero, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Simona Costanzo, Simona Esposito, Amalia De Curtis, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano, Licia Iacoviello,et al.
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Cristiana Mignogna, Simona Costanzo, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Emilia Ruggiero, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hebert, Simona Esposito, Amalia De Curtis, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Chiara Cerletti,et al.
Elsevier BV
Simona Esposito, Alessandro Gialluisi, Simona Costanzo, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Emilia Ruggiero, Amalia De Curtis, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano,et al.
Elsevier BV
Fabrizia Noro, Annalisa Marotta, Marialaura Bonaccio, Simona Costanzo, Federica Santonastaso, Sabatino Orlandi, Alfonsina Tirozzi, Roberta Parisi, Amalia De Curtis, Mariarosaria Persichillo,et al.
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Marialaura Bonaccio, Simona Costanzo, Francesca Bracone, Alessandro Gialluisi, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Emilia Ruggiero, Simona Esposito, Marco Olivieri, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Chiara Cerletti,et al.
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Marialaura Bonaccio, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Emilia Ruggiero, Simona Costanzo, Giuseppe Grosso, Amalia De Curtis, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano, and Licia Iacoviello
BMJ
AbstractObjectiveTo jointly analyse two food dimensions, the Food Standards Agency Nutrient Profiling System (FSAm-NPS), used to derive the Nutri-Score front-of-pack label, and the NOVA classification in relation to mortality.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingMoli-sani Study, Italy 2005-10.Participants22 895 participants (mean age 55 (SD 12) years; 48% men).Main outcomes measuresAssociations between dietary exposures and mortality risk, assessed using multivariable cause specific Cox proportional hazard models controlled for known risk factors.ResultsA total of 2205 deaths occurred during 272 960 person years of follow-up. In the highest quarter of the FSAm-NPS index compared with the lowest quarter, multivariable adjusted hazard ratios for all cause and cardiovascular mortality were 1.19 (95% confidence interval 1.04 to 1.35; absolute risk difference 4.3%, 95% confidence interval 1.4% to 7.2%) and 1.32 (1.06 to 1.64; 2.6%, 0.3% to 4.9%), respectively. The hazard ratios were 1.19 (1.05 to 1.36; absolute risk difference 9.7%, 5.0% to 14.3%) and 1.27 (1.02 to 1.58; 5.0%, 1.2% to 8.8%), respectively, for all cause and cardiovascular mortality when the two extreme categories of ultra-processed food intake were compared. When these two indices were analysed jointly, the magnitude of the association of the FSAm-NPS dietary index with all cause and cardiovascular mortality was attenuated by 22.3% and 15.4%, respectively, whereas mortality risks associated with high ultra-processed food intake were not altered.ConclusionsAdults with the lowest quality diet, as measured using the FSAm-NPS dietary index (underpinning the Nutri-Score), and the highest ultra-processed food consumption (NOVA classification) were at the highest risk for all cause and cardiovascular mortality. A significant proportion of the higher mortality risk associated with an elevated intake of nutrient poor foods was explained by a high degree of food processing. In contrast, the relation between a high ultra-processed food intake and mortality was not explained by the poor quality of these foods.
Emilia Ruggiero, Marialaura Bonaccio, Simona Costanzo, Simona Esposito, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Ettore Carpineta, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Sergio Paolini, Vincenzo Esposito,et al.
Elsevier BV
Emilia Ruggiero, Simona Esposito, Simona Costanzo, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano, Licia Iacoviello, and Marialaura Bonaccio
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
AbstractObjective:To assess ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and its socio-demographic, psychosocial and behavioural correlates in a general population of Italian children, adolescents and adults.Design:Cross-sectional telephone-based surveySetting:Italy, 2010–2013.Participants:In total, 9078 participants (5–97 years) from the Italian Nutrition & Health Survey. Dietary intakes were collected by a 1-d 24-h dietary recall. UPF was defined by the NOVA classification and expressed as percentage of total energies.Results:Average energy intake from UPF (95 % CI) was 17·3 % (17·1 %, 17·6 %) among adults and 25·9 % (24·8 %, 27·0 %) in children/adolescents. Top sources of UPF were processed meats (32·5 %) and bread substitutes (16·7 %). Among adults, age (β= −3·10; 95 % CI (−4·40, −1·80) for >65 yearsv. 20–40 years;βs are dimensionless) and residing in Southern Italy (β= −0·73; 95 % CI (−1·32, −0·14)v. Northern) inversely associated with UPF. Screen view during meals was directly linked to UPF, as well as poor self-rated health (β= 5·32; 95 % CI (2·66, 7·99)), adverse life events (β= 2·33; 95 % CI (1·48, 3·18)) and low sleep quality (β= 2·34; 95 % CI (1·45, 3·23)). Boys consumed two-point percent more UPF of the total energy than girls (β= 2·01; 95 % CI (0·20, 3·82)). For all ages, a Mediterranean diet was inversely associated with UPF (β= −4·86; 95 % CI (−5·53, −4·20) for goodv. poor adherence in adults and (β= −5·08; 95 % CI (−8·38, −1·77) for kids).Conclusions:UPF contributes a modest proportion of energy to the diets of Italian adults while being one-quarter of the total energies in children/adolescents. UPF was associated with several psychosocial factors and eating behaviours. Increased adherence to Mediterranean diet would possibly result in lower UPF consumption.
Emilia Ruggiero, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Simona Costanzo, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Amalia De Curtis, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano, Licia Iacoviello, Marialaura Bonaccio,et al.
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Abstract Purpose Dietary guidelines recommend to limit egg consumption to 4 servings per week but the relation between egg intake and health outcomes is still controversial. To evaluate the association of egg consumption and mortality risk in Italian adults and to investigate nutritional factors and serum lipids as potentially explaining such associations. Methods Longitudinal analysis on 20,562 men and women aged ≥ 35y, free from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer belonging to the Moli-sani Study cohort (enrolled 2005–2010) followed up for a median of 8.2 years. Results In multivariable-adjusted analysis as compared to low intake (> 0 ≤ 1 egg/week), eating > 4 eggs/week led to an increased risk of all-cause (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.50; 95%CI 1.13–1.99), CVD (HR = 1.75; 1.07–2.87) and cancer mortality (HR = 1.52; 0.99–2.33). Similarly, an intake of 2–4 eggs/week was associated with higher all-cause (HR = 1.22; 1.01–1.46) and CVD mortality risk (HR = 1.43; 1.03–1.97). An increase of 1 egg per week was associated with higher mortality risk among high-risk individuals, such as those with hypertension and hyperlipidaemia. Dietary cholesterol explained about 43.0% and 39.3% (p values < 0.0001) of the association of eggs with all-cause and CVD mortality, respectively, while serum lipids (e.g., total cholesterol) accounted for a small proportion of egg-mortality relation. Conclusions Among Italian adults, high egg consumption leads to an increased risk of all-cause and CVD mortality, with the risk being evident even at the recommended intake of 2–4 eggs per week. A substantial part of this association was likely due to the egg contribution to dietary cholesterol. Our findings suggest limiting the consumption of eggs in the diet and these results should be considered in the development of dietary guidelines and updates.
Marialaura Bonaccio, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Simona Costanzo, Amalia De Curtis, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano, Licia Iacoviello, and on behalf of the Moli-sani Study Investigators
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Abstract We investigated the association of cumulative socioeconomic disadvantage (CSD) and socioeconomic status (SES) trajectories across the life course with the risk of first hospitalization for heart failure (HF) or atrial fibrillation (AF) and tested some biological mechanisms to explain such associations. Longitudinal analysis was conducted of 21,756 people without HF or AF who were recruited for the Moli-sani Study (2005–2010; Italy) and followed up for 8.2 years. CSD was computed using childhood SES, education, and adulthood SES indicators, and the same were used to define overall trajectories. A high level of disadvantage across the life course (CSD ≥ 8) was associated with increased risk of HF (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.78, 3.74) or AF (HR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.33), as compared with lower CSD. All explanatory factors accounted for 18.5% and 24% of the excess of HF and AF risks, respectively, associated with CSD. For people with low childhood SES, advancements in education lowered their risk of HF (HR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.48, 1.02) or AF (HR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.28, 0.89), whereas achievements of adulthood SES were unlikely to contribute to disease reduction. In conclusion, a life-course–disadvantaged SES is an important predictor of first hospitalization for HF and AF; known risk factors partially explained the SES–disease gradient. Being in an upwardly mobile group is likely to mitigate the effect of poor childhood circumstances, especially through educational advancement.
Marialaura Bonaccio, Simona Costanzo, Emilia Ruggiero, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Simona Esposito, Marco Olivieri, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano,et al.
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
AbstractObjective:To evaluate changes in ultra-processed food (UPF) intake and its major correlates during the first Italian lockdown (9 March–3 May 2020).Design:Retrospective observational study.Setting:Italy.Participants:We analysed 2992 subjects (mean age 57·9 ± 15·3 years, 40·4 % men). Individual participant data were pooled from two retrospective cohorts: (1) The Moli-LOCK cohort consists of 1501 adults, a portion of the larger Moli-sani study (n 24 325; 2005–2010) who were administered a phone-based questionnaire to assess lifestyles and psychological factors during confinement and (2) the Analysis of Long Term Risk of Covid-19 Emergency is a web-based survey of 1491 individuals distributed throughout Italy who self-responded to the same questionnaire by using Google forms.UPF was defined according to NOVA classification based on degree of food processing. An UPF score was created by assigning 1 point to increased consumption, −1 to decreased and 0 point for unchanged intakes of nineteen food items, with higher values indicating an increase in UPF during confinement.Results:Overall, 37·5 % of the population reported some increase in UPF (UPF score ≥1). Adults were more likely to decrease UPF (multivariable regression coefficient β = −1·94; 95 % CI −2·72, −1·17 for individuals aged >75 years as compared with 18–39 years) as did individuals from southern Italian regions as compared with Northern inhabitants (β = −1·32; 95 % CI −1·80, −0·84), while UPF lowering associated with increased exercise (β = −0·90; 95 % CI −1·46, −0·35) and weight loss (β = −1·05; 95 % CI −1·51, −0·59) during confinement.Conclusions:During the first Italian lockdown, about 40 % of our population switched to unfavourable eating as reflected by increased UPF intake and this may have long-term effects for health.
Donato Angelino, Cristian Del Bo', Nicoletta Pellegrini, Daniela Martini, and
Frontiers Media SA
The packaged foods sold in food stores may be “private-label” products (PL), when branded by the supermarket, and “branded” products (BR). PL products are generally cheaper than the BR counterparts, and this can be perceived as a sign of general low quality by consumers, when items are compared with their branded counterparts. Thus, the aim of the present study was to compare the nutrient content of BR and PL cereal-based foods, by evaluating the nutritional declaration reported on the food pack of products on the home-shopping website of major retailers present on the Italian market. A total of 3,775 items (~58% BR and ~42% PL), collected in the period from July 2018 to March 2019 and updated in March 2020, were included in the final analysis. Data were analyzed by means of the Mann–Whitney nonparametric test for two independent samples for differences between BR and PL categories and types. Overall, BR products showed higher contents of total and saturates than PL items. When products were grouped for categories and types, items only differed for the content of total fats, saturates, total carbohydrates, proteins, and salt. No differences were instead found for energy and sugar contents among any of the categories. However, we did not find any consistency in the direction of results. These results could be useful for future education activities aimed to help consumers in making informed food choices.
Marco Vinceti, Marialaura Bonaccio, Tommaso Filippini, Simona Costanzo, Lauren A. Wise, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Emilia Ruggiero, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati,et al.
Elsevier BV
Simona Esposito, Alessandro Gialluisi, Simona Costanzo, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Emilia Ruggiero, Amalia De Curtis, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano,et al.
MDPI AG
Biological aging, or the discrepancy between biological and chronological age of a subject (Δage), has been associated with a polyphenol-rich Mediterranean diet and represents a new, robust indicator of cardiovascular disease risk. We aimed to disentangle the relationship of dietary polyphenols and total antioxidant capacity with Δage in a cohort of Italians. A cross-sectional analysis was performed on a sub-cohort of 4592 subjects (aged ≥ 35 y; 51.8% women) from the Moli-sani Study (2005–2010). Food intake was recorded by a 188-item food-frequency questionnaire. The polyphenol antioxidant content (PAC)-score was constructed to assess the total dietary content of polyphenols. Total antioxidant capacity was measured in foods by these assays: trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) and ferric reducing-antioxidant power (FRAP). A deep neural network, based on 36 circulating biomarkers, was used to compute biological age and the resulting Δage, which was tested as outcome in multivariable-adjusted linear regressions. Δage was inversely associated with the PAC-score (β = −0.31; 95%CI −0.39, −0.24) but not with total antioxidant capacity of the diet. A diet rich in polyphenols, by positively contributing to deceleration of the biological aging process, may exert beneficial effects on the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease and possibly of bone health.