Endurance-dependent urinary extracellular vesicle signature: shape, metabolic miRNAs, and purine content distinguish triathletes from inactive people.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) enriched with bioactive molecules have gained considerable attention in nanotechnology because they are critical to intercellular communication while maintaining low immunological impact. Among biological matrices, urine has emerged as a noninvasive source of extracellular-contained liquid biopsy, currently of interest as a readout for physiological adaptations. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate chronic adaptations of endurance sport practice in terms of urinary EV parameters and evaluated by food consumption assessment. Two balanced groups of 13 inactive controls vs. triathlon athletes were enrolled; their urinary EVs were obtained by differential ultracentrifugation and analyzed by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron and atomic force microscopy. The cargo was analyzed by means of purine and miRNA content through HPLC-UV and qRT-PCR. Specific urinary EV signatures differentiated inactive versus endurance-trained in terms of peculiar shape. Particularly, a spheroid shape, smaller size, and lower roughness characterize EVs from triathletes. Metabolic and regulatory miRNAs often associated with skeletal muscle (i.e., miR378a-5p, miR27a-3p, miR133a, and miR206) also accounted for a differential signature. These miRNAs and guanosine in urinary EVs can be used as a readout for metabolic status along with the shape and roughness of EVs, novel informative parameters that are rarely considered. The network models allow scholars to entangle nutritional and exercise factors related to EVs' miRNA and purine content to depict metabolic signatures. All in all, multiplex biophysical and molecular analyses of urinary EVs may serve as promising prospects for research in exercise physiology.

Estimated dietary intake of polyphenols in European adolescents: the HELENA study.

PURPOSE: Knowledge about polyphenols intakes and their determinants among adolescents might be helpful for planning targeted prevention strategies at an early age. METHODS: In the European multicenter cross-sectional HELENA study of 2006-2007, 2428 subjects (47% boys) had data on dietary intake of polyphenols from 2 non-consecutive 24 h recalls via linking with the Phenol-Explorer database. Differences by sex, age, country, BMI, maternal education, paternal education, family affluence, smoking status, alcohol use, and physical activity were explored by linear regression. RESULTS: Median, lower and upper quartiles of polyphenol intakes were 326, 167 and 564 mg/day, respectively. Polyphenol intake was significantly higher in the oldest (16-17.49 years), girls, non-Mediterranean countries, lowest BMI, highest paternal education, and alcohol consumers. Main food contributors were fruit (23%, mainly apple and pear, i.e., 16.3%); chocolate products (19.2%); and fruit and vegetable juices (15.6%). Main polyphenol classes were flavonoids (75-76% of total) and phenolic acids (17-19% of total). The three most consumed polyphenols were proanthocyanidin polymers (> 10 mers), hesperidin, and proanthocyanidin 4-6 oligomers. CONCLUSION: The current study provided for the first time numbers on the total polyphenol intake and their main food sources in a heterogeneous group of European adolescents. Major differences with adult populations are the lower polyphenol consumption and the major food sources, such as chocolate and biscuits. The discussed determinants and polyphenol types already point to some important population groups that need to be targeted in future public health initiatives.

Intakes of whole grain in an Italian sample of children, adolescents and adults.

PURPOSE: There is wide evidence that regular consumption of whole grain foods may reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The aim of this work was to quantify the intake of whole grains and identify main dietary sources in the Italian population. METHODS: Whole grain intakes were calculated in a sample of 2830 adults/older adults and of 440 children/adolescents from the last national survey INRAN-SCAI 2005-06. Food consumption was assessed from a 3-day food record. The whole grain content of foods was estimated mainly from quantitative ingredient declarations on labels. RESULTS: Mean whole grain intakes were 3.7 g/day in adults/older adults and 2.1 g/day in children/adolescents. Overall, 23 % of the sample reported consumption of whole grain foods during the survey, among which mean whole grain intakes ranged from 6.0 g/day in female children to 19.1 g/day in female older adults. The main sources of whole grains were breakfast cereals in children/adolescents (32 %) and bread in adults/older adults (46 %). Consumption of whole grain among adults was associated with significantly higher daily intakes and adequacy of dietary fibre, several vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6) and minerals (iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium) compared to non-consumption. Among children, whole grain intake was associated with significantly higher intakes of iron and magnesium. CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals very low whole grain intakes across all age groups of the Italian population. Considering the positive association in consumers between whole grain intakes and fibre and micro-nutrient intakes, public health strategies to increase whole grain consumption should be considered.

Nutrient intake of European adolescents: results of the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) Study.

OBJECTIVE: An adequate nutritional intake in childhood and adolescence is crucial for growth and the prevention of youth and adult obesity and nutrition-related morbidities. Improving nutrient intake in children and adolescents is of public health importance. The purpose of the present study was to describe and evaluate the nutrient intake in a European sample using the D-A-CH nutrient intake recommendations and the Nutritional Quality Index (NQI). DESIGN: The HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) Study is a cross-sectional study, the main objective of which is to obtain comparable data on a variety of nutritional and health-related parameters in adolescents aged 12·5-17·5 years. SETTING: Eight cities in Europe. SUBJECTS: The initial sample consisted of 3528 European adolescents. Among these, 1590 adolescents (54% female) had sufficient and plausible dietary data on energy and nutrient intakes from two 24 h recalls using the HELENA-DIAT software. RESULTS: The intakes of most macronutrients, vitamins and minerals were in line with the D-A-CH recommendations. While the intakes of SFA and salt were too high, the intake of PUFA was too low. Furthermore, the intakes of vitamin D, folate, iodine and F were less than about 55% of the recommendations. The median NQI was about 71 (of a maximum of 100). CONCLUSIONS: The intakes of most nutrients were adequate. However, further studies using suitable criteria to assess nutrient status are needed. Public health initiatives should educate children and adolescents regarding balanced food choices.

FoodEx2 Harmonization of the Food Consumption Database from the Italian IV SCAI Children's Survey.

Estimating the habitual food and nutrient intakes of a population is based on dietary assessment methods that collect detailed information on food consumption. Establishing the list of foods to be used for collecting data in dietary surveys is central to standardizing data collection. Comparing foods across different data sources is always challenging. Nomenclatures, detail, and classification into broad food groups and sub-groups can vary considerably. The use of a common system for classifying and describing foods is an important prerequisite for analyzing data from different sources. At the European level, EFSA has addressed this need through the development and maintenance of the FoodEx2 classification system. The aim of this work is to present the FoodEx2 harmonization of foods, beverages, and food supplements consumed in the IV SCAI children's survey carried out in Italy. Classifying foods into representative food categories predefined at European level for intake and exposure assessment may lead to a loss of information. On the other hand, a major advantage is the comparability of data from different national databases. The FoodEx2 classification of the national food consumption database represented a step forward in the standardization of the data collection and registration. The large use of FoodEx2 categories at a high level of detail (core and extended terms) combined with the use of descriptors (facets) has minimized information loss and made the reference food categories at country level comparable with different food databases at national and international level.

Nutritional and physical fitness parameters in adolescence impact cardiovascular health in adulthood.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, originating in the first decades of life. A better understanding of their early determinants would allow for better prevention. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of nutritional and activity-related characteristics during adolescence on young adult cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: The Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study included adolescents (aged 12.5-17.5 years) in 10 European centres. Four centres designed a nested cohort including 236 participants who were reassessed as young adults (21-32 years). Food consumption was evaluated by dietary recalls, physical activity by accelerometers, physical fitness using physical tests and nutritional knowledge by questionnaires. Cardiovascular health was assessed by Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) Study risk scores and its components. Factors associated with cardiovascular risk were identified using a multivariable regression model. RESULTS: Higher Diet Quality Index (DQI, P = 0.012) and nutritional knowledge (P = 0.015) were significantly associated with lower modified PDAY risk scores. Ultra-processed foods were associated with a lower non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol (P = 0.003), whereas DQI (P = 0.014) and Planetary Health Diet Index (P = 0.016) were associated with a higher HDL cholesterol. Higher DQI was also related to a lower body mass index (BMI, P = 0.006). In addition, cardiorespiratory fitness was related to a lower BMI (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Nutritional knowledge, diet quality and adherence to a sustainable diet in adolescence decrease cardiovascular risk in adulthood, whereas ultra-processed food consumption increases risk. These factors appear as targeted prevention tools for promoting a healthier adolescent lifestyle to decrease long-term cardiovascular risk. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY NUMBER: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02899416.

Legumes and common beans in sustainable diets: nutritional quality, environmental benefits, spread and use in food preparations.

In recent decades, scarcity of available resources, population growth and the widening in the consumption of processed foods and of animal origin have made the current food system unsustainable. High-income countries have shifted towards food consumption patterns which is causing an increasingly process of environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources, with the increased incidence of malnutrition due to excess (obesity and non-communicable disease) and due to chronic food deprivation. An urgent challenge is, therefore, to move towards more healthy and sustainable eating choices and reorientating food production and distribution to obtain a human and planetary health benefit. In this regard, legumes represent a less expensive source of nutrients for low-income countries, and a sustainable healthier option than animal-based proteins in developed countries. Although legumes are the basis of many traditional dishes worldwide, and in recent years they have also been used in the formulation of new food products, their consumption is still scarce. Common beans, which are among the most consumed pulses worldwide, have been the focus of many studies to boost their nutritional properties, to find strategies to facilitate cultivation under biotic/abiotic stress, to increase yield, reduce antinutrients contents and rise the micronutrient level. The versatility of beans could be the key for the increase of their consumption, as it allows to include them in a vast range of food preparations, to create new formulations and to reinvent traditional legume-based recipes with optimal nutritional healthy characteristics.

Use of market share data to select food products for an occurrence survey on flavourings in eight EU countries within the FACET project.

Dietary exposure assessment to flavourings presents a challenge due to the very large number of food products in which they may be present and the lack of knowledge of their actual presence. Industry claims to be adding more than 2800 different chemically defined flavourings in the European Union (EU). Within the Flavours, Additives and Food Contact Material Exposure Task (FACET) EU project, an occurrence survey was performed to explore the possible use of the information that can be collected from the labels to reduce the uncertainty in exposure assessment. An ad hoc procedure based on the use of market share data of food and drinks was developed for the selection of products to be collected. A database of information retrieved from the food labels of branded products from large and small companies was created. Such information may be used to populate some databases of the software developed within the FACET project to assess total dietary exposure to flavourings.

The third National Food Consumption Survey, INRAN-SCAI 2005-06: major dietary sources of nutrients in Italy.

INTRODUCTION: To promote healthy food consumption patterns, information is required on the contribution of food groups to total nutrient intake. The objective of this paper is to identify the main dietary sources of nutrients in the diet of the population in Italy. METHODS: Data collected through individual food records within the INRAN-SCAI 2005-06 survey were required. The final sample included 3323 subjects aged 0.1-97.7 years. RESULTS: The percentage contributed by each food category to the intake of energy, dietary fibre and of 26 nutrients was calculated. Above 3 years of age, the main contributors to macro- and micro-nutrient intakes were similar among the various age-sex groupings with few exceptions. CONCLUSION: These data might be used to develop specific strategies for Italy in order to increase the intake of dietary fibre and to decrease that of total fats and of sugars in the population.

In order to lower the antinutritional activity of serine protease inhibitors, we need to understand their role in seed development.

Proteases, including serine proteases, are involved in the entire life cycle of plants. Proteases are controlled by protease inhibitors (PI) to limit any uncontrolled or harmful protease activity. The role of PIs in biotic and abiotic stress tolerance is well documented, however their role in various other plant processes has not been fully elucidated. Seed development is one such area that lack detailed work on the function of PIs despite the fact that this is a key process in the life cycle of the plant. Serine protease inhibitors (SPI) such as the Bowman-Birk inhibitors and Kunitz-type inhibitors, are abundant in legume seeds and act as antinutrients in humans and animals. Their role in seed development is not fully understood and present an interesting research target. Whether lowering the levels and activity of PIs, in order to lower the anti-nutrient levels in seed will affect the development of viable seed, remains an important question. Studies on the function of SPI in seed development are therefore required. In this Perspective paper, we provide an overview on the current knowledge of seed storage proteins, their degradation as well as on the serine protease-SPI system in seeds and what is known about the consequences when this system is modified. We discuss areas that require investigation. This includes the identification of seed specific SPIs; screening of germplasms, to identify plants with low seed inhibitor content, establishing serine protease-SPI ratios and lastly a focus on molecular techniques that can be used to modify seed SPI activity.

Breakfast habits among European adolescents and their association with sociodemographic factors: the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe breakfast habits at food group level in European adolescents and to investigate the associations between these habits and sociodemographic factors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Secondary schools from nine European cities participating in the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) Study. Breakfast habits were assessed twice using a computer-based 24 h dietary recall. Adolescents who consumed breakfast on at least one recall day were classified as 'breakfast consumers' and adolescents who did not have anything for breakfast on either of the two recall days were considered 'breakfast skippers'. A 'breakfast quality index' to describe breakfast quality was created based on the consumption or non-consumption of cereals/cereal products, dairy products and fruits/vegetables. The sociodemographic factors studied were sex, age, region of Europe, maternal and paternal education, family structure and family affluence. SUBJECTS: Adolescents (n 2672, 53 % girls) aged 12-17 years. RESULTS: The majority of the adolescents reported a breakfast that scored poorly on the breakfast quality index. Older adolescents, adolescents from the southern part of Europe and adolescents from families with low socio-economic status were more likely to consume a low-quality breakfast. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the need to promote the consumption of a high-quality breakfast among adolescents, particularly in older adolescents, adolescents from southern Europe and adolescents from families with low socio-economic status, in order to improve public health.

Dietary assessment training: The Italian IV SCAI study on 10-74 year-old individuals' food consumption.

Dietary surveys are conducted to examine the population's dietary patterns that require a complex system of databases, and rules for constructing the data matrix (precision, coding, deriving new variables, e.g., body mass index from individual's height and weight, classes, e.g., age-class, socio-economic status, physical activity, etc.). Management of the data collection requires specialized fieldworkers to allow for the collection of harmonized and standardized data. In this way, only statistical variability is envisaged and any eventual biases are due to probabilistic distribution but data are not affected by inaccuracy. Training the fieldworkers is a crucial part of each dietary survey. The idea to provide constant training throughout the whole survey period, from the preparatory phase to the data collection phase, relies on the necessity to train fieldworkers and monitor the skills acquired during the study, in addition to helping fieldworkers to gain the necessary experience. This study aims to relate the experience in conducting the course path to high specialized interviewers who carried out the cycle devoted to the 10-74 age class of the fourth nationwide food consumption study in Italy (IV SCAI ADULT) according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) guide. A course path was structured in three steps corresponding to the preparation, pilot, and collection phases. The whole path achieved the goal of collecting data related to 12 individuals by each participant, with an overall success rate (successful trainees/total participants) of 16.8% (84 out of an initial 500). The study aimed to provide good quality data in the short term and a highly specialized community in the long term. Surveillance nutritional systems can count on a highly skilled community, so decision-making in public health nutrition and a sustainable and healthy food system can rely on this infrastructure.

Antinutritional factors, nutritional improvement, and future food use of common beans: A perspective.

Common bean seeds are an excellent source of protein as well as of carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive compounds reducing, when in the diet, the risks of diseases. The presence of bioactive compounds with antinutritional properties (e.g., phytic acid, lectins, raffinosaccharides, protease inhibitors) limits, however, the bean's nutritional value and its wider use in food preparations. In the last decades, concerted efforts have been, therefore, made to develop new common bean genotypes with reduced antinutritional compounds by exploiting the natural genetic variability of common bean and also applying induced mutagenesis. However, possible negative, or positive, pleiotropic effects due to these modifications, in terms of plant performance in response to stresses or in the resulting technological properties of the developed mutant genotypes, have yet not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of the perspective paper is to first highlight the current advances, which have been already made in mutant bean characterization. A view will be further provided on future research directions to specifically explore further advantages and disadvantages of these bean mutants, their potential use in innovative foods and representing a valuable genetic reservoir of combinations to assess the true functional role of specific seed bioactive components directly in the food matrix.

Relationship between self-reported dietary intake and physical activity levels among adolescents: the HELENA study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests possible synergetic effects of multiple lifestyle behaviors on health risks like obesity and other health outcomes. Therefore it is important to investigate associations between dietary and physical activity behavior, the two most important lifestyle behaviors influencing our energy balance and body composition. The objective of the present study is to describe the relationship between energy, nutrient and food intake and the physical activity level among a large group of European adolescents. METHODS: The study comprised a total of 2176 adolescents (46.2% male) from ten European cities participating in the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) study. Dietary intake and physical activity were assessed using validated 24-h dietary recalls and self-reported questionnaires respectively. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to compare the energy and nutrient intake and the food consumption between groups of adolescents with different physical activity levels (1st to 3rd tertile). RESULTS: In both sexes no differences were found in energy intake between the levels of physical activity. The most active males showed a higher intake of polysaccharides, protein, water and vitamin C and a lower intake of saccharides compared to less active males. Females with the highest physical activity level consumed more polysaccharides compared to their least active peers. Male and female adolescents with the highest physical activity levels, consumed more fruit and milk products and less cheese compared to the least active adolescents. The most active males showed higher intakes of vegetables and meat, fish, eggs, meat substitutes and vegetarian products compared to the least active ones. The least active males reported the highest consumption of grain products and potatoes. Within the female group, significantly lower intakes of bread and cereal products and spreads were found for those reporting to spend most time in moderate to vigorous physical activity. The consumption of foods from the remaining food groups, did not differ between the physical activity levels in both sexes. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that dietary habits diverge between adolescents with different self-reported physical activity levels. For some food groups a difference in intake could be found, which were reflected in differences in some nutrient intakes. It can also be concluded that physically active adolescents are not always inclined to eat healthier diets than their less active peers.

Overview of existing European food consumption databases: critical aspects in relation to their use for the assessment of dietary exposure to additives, flavourings and residues of food contact materials.

A critical analysis of existing food consumption databases was performed with particular regard for their current and potential use for the assessment of dietary exposure to additives, flavourings and residues of food contact materials. Within the European Food Consumption Validation project (EFCOVAL), a questionnaire on critical aspects of such datasets was developed and administered to researchers responsible for the collection/analysis of national food consumption data in European countries. Information collected was complemented through a review of the literature and of grey publications in order to provide an inventory of the main food consumption surveys performed in Europe from 1994 to 2007, for a total of 23 countries and 37 surveys. It appeared that existing European food consumption surveys have as a main objective the assessment of nutrient intake in the population. On the other hand, most of the databases were shown to be used also for the purpose of dietary exposure assessment.

Feeding Your Himalayan Expedition: Nutritional Signatures and Body Composition Adaptations of Trekkers and Porters.

High-altitude exposure leads to many physiological challenges, such as weight loss and dehydration. However, little attention has been posed to the role of nutrition and ethnic differences. Aiming to fulfill this gap, five Italian trekkers and seven Nepalese porters, all males, recorded their diet in diaries during a Himalayan expedition (19 days), and the average daily intake of micro and macro-nutrients were calculated. Bioimpedance analysis was performed five times during the trek; muscle ultrasound was performed before and after the expedition, only for the Italians. The Nepalese group consumed a lot of rice and only Italians consumed cheese. Water intake was slightly over 3000 g/d for both groups. Nepalese diet had a higher density of dietary fibre and lower density of riboflavin, vitamins A, K, and B12. Intake of calcium was lower than recommended levels. Body mass index, waist circumference, fat-free mass, and total body water decreased in both groups, whereas resistance (Rz) increased. Italians reactance (Xc) increased at day 9, whereas that of Nepalese occurred at days 5, 9, and 16. The cross-sectional area of the Vastus lateralis was reduced after the expedition. Specific nutritional and food-related risk factors guidance is needed for diverse expedition groups. Loss of muscle mass and balance of fluids both deserve a particular focus as concerns altitude expeditions.

A Dietary Assessment Training Course Path: The Italian IV SCAI Study on Children Food Consumption.

The eating patterns in a population can be estimated through dietary surveys in which open-ended assessment methods, such as diaries and interviews, or semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires are administered. A harmonized dietary survey methodology, together with a standardized operational procedure, in conducting the study is crucial to ensure the comparability of the results and the accuracy of information, thus reducing uncertainty and increasing the reliability of the results. Dietary patterns (i) include several target variables (foods, energy and nutrients, other food components), (ii) require several explanatory variables (age, gender, anthropometric measurements, socio-cultural and economic characteristics, lifestyle, preferences, attitudes, beliefs, organization of food-related activities, etc.), and (iii) have impacts in several domains: imbalance diets; acute and chronic exposures affect health, specifically non-communicable diseases; and then sanitary expenditure. On the other hand, food demand has impacts on the food system: production, distribution, and food services system; food wastes and other wastes generated by food-related activities of the households (e.g., packaging disposal) have consequences on the "health of the planet" which in turn can have effects on human health. Harmonization and standardization of measurement methods and procedures in such a complex context require an ad hoc structured information system made by databases (food nomenclatures, portion sizes, food atlas, recipes) and methodological tools (quantification methods, food coding systems, assessment of nutritional status, data processing to extrapolate what we consider validated dietary data). Establishing a community of professionals specialized in dietary data management could lead to build a surveillance system for monitoring eating habits in the short term, thus reducing costs, and to arrange a training re-training system. Creating and maintaining the dietary data managers community is challenging but possible. In this context, the cooperation between the CREA Research Centre for Food and Nutrition and the Italian National Health Institute (ISS) promoted and supported by the Italian Ministry of Health may represent a model of best practice that can ensure a continuous training for the professional community carrying out a nutritional study.

Corrigendum: A Dietary Assessment Training Course Path: The Italian IV SCAI Study on Children Food Consumption.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.590315.].

Could Dietary Goals and Climate Change Mitigation Be Achieved Through Optimized Diet? The Experience of Modeling the National Food Consumption Data in Italy.

Objective: The aim of this study is to define a healthy and sustainable diet model with low GHGE, fulfilling dietary requirements, and considering current Italian food consumption patterns. Design: A duly designed database was developed, linking food nutritional composition and GHGE based on 921 food items consumed in Italy according to the last national food consumption survey (INRAN-SCAI 2005-2006). Linear programming was used to develop new diet plans separately for males and females, aged 18-60 years (n = 2,098 subjects), in order to minimize GHGE. The program is based on dietary goals and acceptability constraints as well as on 13 nutrient requirement constraints aiming to reach a healthy and acceptable diet for the Italian population. Results: Diet optimization resulted in a nutritionally adequate pattern minimizing GHGE values (4.0 vs. 1.9 kg CO2e/day for males and 3.2 vs. 1.6 kg CO2e/day for females). In both sexes, the nutrient intake of the optimized diet was at the established lower bound for cholesterol and calcium and at the established upper bound for free sugar and fiber. In males, intake of zinc was at the established lower bound whereas iron was at the established upper bound. Consumption of red meat and fruit and vegetables was at the established lower and upper bound, respectively, in both males and females. Despite the decrease in meat consumption, especially red meat, in the optimized diet with respect to the observed diet, levels of iron intake in females increased by 10% (10.3 vs. 11.3 mg/day) but remained below the adequate intake established in Italian national DRIs. Conclusions: An attainable healthy dietary pattern was developed that would lead to the reduction of GHGE by 48% for males and by 50% for females with respect to current food consumption in the Italian adult population. Health-promoting dietary patterns can substantially contribute to achieve related Sustainable Development Goals.

The Italian National Food Consumption Survey INRAN-SCAI 2005-06: main results in terms of food consumption.

OBJECTIVE: The current paper aims to present the main results of the Italian National Food Consumption Survey INRAN-SCAI 2005-06. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was performed. Households were randomly selected after geographical stratification of the national territory. Food consumption was assessed on three consecutive days through individual estimated dietary records. SETTING: Italy. SUBJECTS: The final study sample comprised 3323 subjects (1501 males and 1822 females) aged 0.1 to 97.7 years belonging to 1329 households: fifty-two infants (0-2.9 years), 193 children (3-9.9 years), 247 teenagers (10-17.9 years), 2313 adults (18-64.9 years) and 518 elderly (65 years and above). RESULTS: Participation rate was 33 %. The mean ratio of estimated energy intake to estimated BMR was 1.41 in adults. Indicators of mean and high individual consumption are presented for fifteen large categories and fifty-one subcategories of foods and beverages, in the total population and in consumers, by age and sex categories. The overall consumption of fruit and vegetables was 418 g/d. The consumption of red meat was approximately 700 g/week, expressed as raw weight. Some specific aspects of the Italian food consumption pattern were confirmed: a large contribution from bread, pasta and pizza to cereals, from olive oil to fats and from wine to alcoholic beverages. CONCLUSIONS: The database obtained from the survey will be the key reference for Italian food consumption during the coming years and will be utilized for a variety of purposes including the assessment of nutrient intakes and risk analysis.