Abstract
Background: There is still room for further studies aimed at investigating the most widespread diets in the Mediterranean area. The objective of the study is to analyze the relation of food group intake to clinical chemical indicators of health, and also to compare the food group intake with healthy well-known diet indices. Methods: Lifestyle, dietary, and clinical data collected in 2005/2006 and 2012/2018 from Castellana Grotte, located in the rural area of Apulia, were analyzed. The study populations included newly recruited subjects at each time period (n = 1870) as well as subjects examined twice and compared over time regarding health indicators (n = 734). Diet was assessed through a validated food frequency questionnaire. Three healthy diet indices were calculated and related to 29 food groups. We also performed prospective regression of food group consumption with health indicators. Results: The diet over the time period of observation was very stable and consisted of a high proportion of vegetables, fruit and grains. No major changes in body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure were observed. Consumption of low-fat dairy, juices, olive oil, and water were related to reductions in weight gain, systolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and cholesterol (total and HDL) levels, in that order. Over the time periods we observed only a slight decrease of adherence to the Meddietscore. The correlations of the healthy diet indices with food groups revealed some differences among the indices, mostly regarding the intake of fruit and vegetables. Conclusions: The dietary pattern of Apulia is in line with many principles of a healthy diet and the cohort population seems to be less liable to undergo a transition to a westernized diet.
Highlights
There is still great interest in the diet practiced around the Mediterranean Sea due to the observation of low disease incidences compared to Northern European countries
Of particular interest is the lack of an overall decrease in health conditions referred to the MICOL3/GreatAGE study population as well as the other population groups which served as control samples, not being affected by repeated study participation
We found a direct relation between leafy vegetables and an inverse relation between other vegetables and Systolic blood pressure (SBP), an inverse relation of the same food group with glucose, a direct relation between sugar and an inverse relation between coffee and total cholesterol, and increased triglycerides with eggs and red meat, but decreased triglycerides with ready-to-eat dishes
Summary
There is still great interest in the diet practiced around the Mediterranean Sea due to the observation of low disease incidences compared to Northern European countries. A broad search for common dietary practices in this region of the world identified a relatively high proportion of energy gained from cereals, vegetables, and fruits, relatively less meat consumption, and a greater reliance on vegetables than on animal fats compared to Northern Europe [1] These foods were recently highlighted by the Global Burden of Disease study on diet, which found that dietary factors have a high impact on disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) [2]. Diet varied manifold in key food components such as milk and cheese, vegetables, fruits, meat, egg and fish, and even sugar and sweets taking three “Seven Countries Study” areas from North to South Such regional dietary habits have prevailed up to now and even today understanding the preventive principles associated with regional dietary habits is still a challenge. Conclusions: The dietary pattern of Apulia is in line with many principles of a healthy diet and the cohort population seems to be less liable to undergo a transition to a westernized diet
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
