Effect of the Pasta Making Process on Slowly Digestible Starch Content.

The rate at which starch is digested in the human intestine elicits different glycemic responses and reflects the glycemic index (GI) of foods. In vitro measurement of starch digestibility can reflect the GI of food. Differences in starch digestibility among four durum wheat pasta samples, couscous, and bread were evaluated to better describe the role of the pasta making process in affecting starch digestibility. Statistical differences in RDS (rapidly digestible starch), SDS (slowly digestible starch), and RS (resistant starch) of products were found (p < 0.05). As expected, pasta samples showed the highest value of SDS/av starch compared to couscous and bread. Fusilli and cavatelli samples presented the highest SDS/av starch ratio (55.80 ± 3.06% and 53.91 ± 3.50%, respectively), then came spaghetti 49.39 ± 2.83% and penne 45.93 ± 1.19%, while couscous presented the lowest value of SDS/av starch (2.64 ± 0.50%), followed by bread (11.78 ± 2.63%). Our study confirmed that the pasta making process efficiently mediates an increase in SDS/Av starch content, which has been specifically quantified above 40%, therefore strongly related to a lowered glycemic response in vivo. Our results strengthened the concept that pasta is a good source of SDS, which makes it useful for glycemic control.

Nutritional Composition and Environmental Impact of Meals Selected in Workplace Canteens before and after an Intervention Promoting the Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet.

Enhancing healthy and sustainable food systems is one of the key goals of the current European Commission policy. In this light, the creation of a food environment where people are properly informed about the healthiness and sustainability of food choices is essential. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional profile and the environmental impact of meals consumed in a workplace canteen in Italy in the presence of a nudge (i.e., the Double Pyramid logo) combined with a web-based application promoting the Mediterranean Diet. Energy and nutrient contents and the carbon, water, and ecological footprints of 29,776 meals were compared across three subsequent periods (from June to April) through one-way ANOVA. Although the choice of dishes labelled with the Double Pyramid logo was comparable across periods, the selection of fish- and plant-based dishes increased from +2% (fish, vegetables) up to +17% (whole-grain cereals), with a concurrent reduction of meat-based options (−2%). Although the consumption of healthy items increased (p < 0.001), they were not added as a replacement for alternative options, leading to a higher content in energy (p < 0.001) and nutrients (p < 0.001) and worse environmental footprints, contrarily to what was observed when data were adjusted for energy. The intervention significantly improved food choices; however, as the higher selection of desired dishes was not adequately compensated for, it was not fully effective.

Eight-week hempseed oil intervention improves the fatty acid composition of erythrocyte phospholipids and the omega-3 index, but does not affect the lipid profile in children and adolescents with primary hyperlipidemia.

Children affected by primary hyperlipidemia have a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) during adulthood. Several studies have reported a positive association between the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and improvements in lipid markers and CVD risk. Dietary supplements may represent a potential strategy in the management of hyperlipidemia. In this context, the effectiveness of hempseed oil (HSO) rich in PUFAs (particularly linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA)) in the modulation of hyperlipidemia has been poorly investigated. The present pilot study aimed to explore the impact of HSO supplementation on the serum lipid profile and fatty acid (FA) composition of red blood cells (RBCs) in children and adolescents with primary hyperlipidemia. A randomized, 8 week long, parallel dietary intervention study was performed. Thirty-six hyperlipidemic probands (6-16 years) on diet therapy were randomized into two groups: the HSO group, receiving 3 g of HSO providing 1.4 g of LA and 0.7 g/day of ALA, and the control group. Both groups received specific dietary guidelines. Before and after the intervention, blood samples were collected and the serum lipid profile, FA composition of RBCs and omega-3-index were analyzed. Eight weeks of supplementation with HSO significantly (p < .01) reduced the RBC content of total saturated and monounsaturated FAs (-5.02 ±â€¯7.94% and - 2.12 ±â€¯2.23%, respectively), increased the levels of total n-3 and n-6 PUFAs (+1.57 ±â€¯1.96% and + 5.39 ±â€¯7.18%, respectively) and the omega-3 index (+1.18 ±â€¯1.42%), but failed to affect the serum lipid profile compared to the control group. In conclusion, our findings seem to support the contribution of HSO supplementation in improving the RBC phospholipid composition and omega-3 index, while no effect was observed regarding modulation of the lipid profile. Further controlled studies are necessary to achieve a complete understanding of the effects of HSO in the modulation of hyperlipidemia and CVD risk in this and other target groups.

Effect of short-term hazelnut consumption on DNA damage and oxidized LDL in children and adolescents with primary hyperlipidemia: a randomized controlled trial.

Children with primary hyperlipidemia are prone to develop premature atherosclerosis, possibly associated with increased oxidative stress. Nutritional therapy is the primary strategy in the treatment of hyperlipidemia and associated conditions. Dietary interventions with bioactive-rich foods, such as nuts, may contribute to the modulation of both lipid profile and the oxidative/antioxidant status. Our study aimed to assess the impact of a dietary intervention with hazelnuts on selected oxidative stress markers in children and adolescents with primary hyperlipidemia. A single-blind, 8-week, randomized, controlled, three-arm, parallel-group study was performed. Children and adolescents diagnosed with primary hyperlipidemia (n=60) received dietary guidelines and were randomized into three groups: group 1 received hazelnuts with skin (HZN+S), and group 2 hazelnuts without skin (HZN-S), at equivalent doses (15-30 g/day, based on body weight); group 3 (controls) received only dietary recommendations (no nuts). At baseline and after 8 weeks, plasma oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) concentrations, oxidative levels of DNA damage in PBMCs and potential correlation with changes in serum lipids were examined. A reduction of endogenous DNA damage by 18.9%±51.3% (P=.002) and 23.1%±47.9% (P=.007) was observed after HZN+S and HZN-S, respectively. Oxidatively induced DNA strand breaks decreased by 16.0%±38.2% (P=.02) following HZN+S treatment. Ox-LDL levels did not change after HZN+S intervention but positively correlated with total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. A short-term hazelnut intervention improves cell DNA protection and resistance against oxidative stress but not ox-LDL in hyperlipidemic pediatric patients. The trial was registered at ISRCTN.com, ID no. ISRCTN12261900.

Evidence of dysbiosis in the intestinal microbial ecosystem of children and adolescents with primary hyperlipidemia and the potential role of regular hazelnut intake.

Hyperlipidemia starts at a pediatric age and represents an unquestionable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Modulation of the intestinal microbial ecosystem (IME), in principle, can ameliorate lipid profiles. In this study, we characterized the IME of children and adolescents with primary hyperlipidemia by analyzing fecal samples through 16S rRNA gene profiling (n = 15) and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) quantification (n = 32). The same analyses were also carried out on age-matched normolipidemic controls (n = 15). Moreover, we evaluated the modulatory effect of regular hazelnut intake (approximately 0.43 g of hazelnuts with skin per kg of body weight) on the IME of 15 children and adolescents with hyperlipidemia for eight weeks. We found alterations of numerous operational taxonomic units potentially associated with SCFA-producing bacteria and reductions in the fecal levels of acetate, butyrate and propionate in hyperlipidemic subjects. Furthermore, we observed that an eight-week hazelnut intervention may induce limited changes in fecal microbiota composition but can significantly modulate the fecal levels of predominant intestinal SCFAs, such as acetate. Finally, correlation analyses indicated that changes in lipidemic parameters are linked to modifications of the abundance of specific bacterial taxa, such as the families Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae and the genera Akkermansia, Bacteroides, Roseburia, and Faecalibacterium. This study suggests that children and adolescents with primary hyperlipidemia possess an altered IME. The promising results presented here support the need for future dietary interventions aimed at positively modulating the IME of hyperlipidemic subjects.

Effect of hazelnut on serum lipid profile and fatty acid composition of erythrocyte phospholipids in children and adolescents with primary hyperlipidemia: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND & AIM: Regular intake of nuts improves lipid profile and thus reduces the cardiovascular (CV) risk associated with hyperlipidemia. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of a dietary intervention with hazelnuts (HZNs, 15-30 g/day, depending on patient weight) on serum lipid profile, anthropometric parameters and fatty acids (FAs) composition of erythrocyte phospholipids in children and adolescents with primary hyperlipidemia. METHODS: Eight-week randomized, single blind, controlled, three-arm, parallel-group study. Sixty-six subjects were enrolled and randomized in 3 groups receiving: 1) hazelnuts with skin (HZN+S); 2) hazelnuts without skin (HZN-S); 3) dietary advices for hyperlipidemia only (controls). Before and after intervention, clinical parameters were measured and blood samples were collected for the evaluation of serum lipid levels and phospholipid FA composition of erythrocytes. RESULTS: Two-way ANOVA showed a significant effect of time on serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)/LDL-C ratio and non-HDL-C (p ≤ 0.001), but not of treatment and time × treatment interaction. In particular, HZN+S and HZN-S significantly reduced the concentrations of LDL-C and increased HDL-C/LDL-C ratio. HZNs also had a favorable impact on FAs composition of erythrocyte phospholipids, as demonstrated by time × treatment interaction, with a significant increase of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) (p = 0.008) and MUFAs/saturated fatty acids (SFAs) ratio (p = 0.002) with respect to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, we documented a positive effect of HZN consumption on lipid profile and FA composition of erythrocyte phospholipids in children with primary hyperlipidemia. Further studies are encouraged to better define HZN impact on the markers of CV risk in this population. The trial was registered under ISRCTN.com, ID no. ISRCTN12261900.

A serving of blueberry (V. corymbosum) acutely improves peripheral arterial dysfunction in young smokers and non-smokers: two randomized, controlled, crossover pilot studies.

Several studies have documented the important role of polyphenol-rich foods in the modulation of vascular remodelling and function. This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of a single portion of blueberry (V. corymbosum) to acutely improve peripheral arterial dysfunction in a group of young volunteers. Twenty-four healthy males (12 non-smokers and 12 smokers) were recruited for two different randomized, controlled, crossover pilot acute studies. In the first study, non-smokers were exposed to a control treatment (C; 300 mL of water with sugar) and a blueberry treatment (BB; 300 g of blueberry). In the second study, smokers underwent 3 different protocols: (1) - smoking treatment (S); (2) - control treatment (CS; 300 mL of water with sugar + smoking); (3) - blueberry treatment (BS; 300 g of blueberry + smoking). Each treatment (1 day long) was separated by a one week washout period. Blood pressure, peripheral arterial function (reactive hyperemia index, RHI, a marker of endothelial function) and arterial stiffness (digital augmentation index, dAix and dAix normalized by considering a heart rate of 75 bpm, dAix@75) were measured before and after each treatment. In the first study, the consumption of blueberry and control treatment acutely increased peripheral arterial function in the group of non-smokers. The improvement in RHI was higher and significantly different after blueberry treatment compared to the control treatment (54.8 ± 8.4% BB vs. 28.2 ± 8.3% C; p = 0.01). No effects were observed for markers of arterial stiffness, blood pressure and heart rate. Acute cigarette smoke significantly increased blood pressure and heart rate, while no significant effect was registered in peripheral arterial function and stiffness. The intake of blueberry and control treatment before a cigarette did not counteract the increase in blood pressure and heart rate, while it significantly improved peripheral arterial function. In particular, a significant increase was observed following BS (35.2 ± 7.5% RHI; p = 0.02) and CS treatments (34.6 ± 11.9% RHI; p = 0.02) when compared to only smoking treatment. No difference between BS and CS was detected. In conclusion, the intake of blueberry and control treatments acutely improved peripheral arterial dysfunction both in smoker and in non-smoker subjects. Further studies should be performed to confirm the results obtained and reveal the potential mechanisms of blueberry in the improvement of endothelial function.

Blood trace metals in a sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis geographical cluster.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disorder with unknown etiology, in which genetic and environmental factors interplay to determine the onset and the course of the disease. Exposure to toxic metals has been proposed to be involved in the etiology of the disease either through a direct damage or by promoting oxidative stress. In this study we evaluated the concentration of a panel of metals in serum and whole blood of a small group of sporadic patients, all living in a defined geographical area, for which acid mine drainage has been reported. ALS prevalence in this area is higher than in the rest of Italy. Results were analyzed with software based on artificial neural networks. High concentrations of metals (in particular Se, Mn and Al) were associated with the disease group. Arsenic serum concentration resulted lower in ALS patients, but it positively correlated with disease duration. Comet assay was performed to evaluate endogenous DNA damage that resulted not different between patients and controls. Up to now only few studies considered geographically well-defined clusters of ALS patients. Common geographical origin among patients and controls gave us the chance to perform metallomic investigations under comparable conditions of environmental exposure. Elaboration of these data with software based on machine learning processes has the potential to be extremely useful to gain a comprehensive view of the complex interactions eventually leading to disease, even in a small number of subjects.

Serum lipid profile and fatty acid composition of erythrocyte phospholipids in children and adolescents with primary hyperlipidemia.

This study aimed at characterizing the fatty acid (FA) composition of red blood cell (RBC) phospholipids in children and adolescents with primary hyperlipidemia, and to ascertain potential association with serum lipid profile and dietary factors. At this purpose, 54 probands aged 6-17 years were recruited. Subjects showed a low omega-3 index (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA + docosahexaenoic acid, DHA <4%). Compared to males, females had a trend toward lower levels of total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and MUFA/saturated fatty acids (SFAs) ratio in RBCs. An inverse relationship between MUFA concentration in RBCs and serum cholesterol or HDL-C/triglycerides ratio was found. Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFA) were positively associated to serum HDL-C levels, and inversely to dietary cholesterol. Fiber intake was positively associated with MUFA/SFA ratio. In conclusion, we provide the first experimental data on phospholipid FA composition of RBCs in hyperlipidemic children, showing sex differences and an overall low omega 3-index.

Intra- and interday repeatability of peripheral arterial function: suitability and potential limitations.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the inter-and intraday repeatability of RHI measured by Endo-PAT in healthy volunteers. METHODS: Interday RHI repeatability was tested in two consecutive days in a group of 31 male subjects. Intraday repeatability was investigated at baseline and after 2 and 4 hour in a group of 16 volunteers. Data were evaluated by analysis of variance. Bland-Altman plot, CV, CR, and ICC were measured. RESULTS: While interday RHI repeatability was found to be reliable (CV: 6.0%; CR: 0.51; ICC: 0.77), multiple evaluations within the same day significantly (P<.001) affected RHI (repeatability of the measurement -CV: 18.8%; CR: 1.26; ICC: 0.48). In particular, a significant increase in RHI occurred at 4 hour compared to 2 hour (+16.8%; P<.05) and to baseline (+30.1%; P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: RHI showed good interday but poor intraday repeatability. Multiple evaluations increased RHI especially in subjects with endothelial dysfunction who improved or reversed their impairment. These results show the potential limitations of multiple Endo-PAT measurements within the same day and the importance of standardizing the protocols before RHI evaluations.