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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Mediterranean Diet (MD) has been recognized for its benefits for human health and sustainability for the planet, but it has considered not easy to reproduce in other populations. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair on Health Education and Sustainable Development is fostering a research project (Planeterranea), aiming to identify a healthy dietary pattern based on local foods with the same MD features. The aim of our study is to develop a MD-based food pyramid for Asian populations. METHODS: Asia was stratified into six areas according to pedo-climatic conditions. For each region a comprehensive scoping review of local crops and typical foods was conducted on several databases such as the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s database, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) website, and PubMed, focusing on both plant-based and animal-based foods. Narrative review was then conducted on the identified foods to determine their nutritional composition and planetary health impact. Finally, the collected information was used to build up the Asian food pyramid with details for each respective region. RESULTS: We proposed a food pyramid for Asian countries, guaranteeing the same nutritional intake and health benefits as MD, by considering dietary habits and typical foods of this population. From the bottom to the top, Asian fruits and vegetables present similar nutritional profile as those in MD. Whole grains (barley) may represent valid alternative to white rice. Sesame oil represents a source of unsaturated fats and an alternative to olive oil. Legumes (soybean), edible insects, mushrooms and algae, guarantee an adequate intake of plant-based proteins with a complete amino-acid profile and a low environmental impact with respect to animal-based ones. CONCLUSIONS: This work is a new insight of healthy and sustainable local food system based on MD principles for the Asian population.
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Dieta Mediterránea , Humanos , AsiaRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Hematology analyzers produce reliable, reproducible, precise, accurate results, as well as a premicroscopic characterization of abnormal samples. We have evaluated the clinical performance of a new blood cell counter, which has been temporarily made available to our hematology laboratory. METHODS: Over four months, we analyzed with the Mindray BC-6800 Plus more than 1000 samples with a high incidence of hematological abnormalities, using recommended ICSH and CLSI protocols. We have also assessed flagging efficiency for abnormal cells and scattergram cell distribution. RESULTS: From a quantitative point of view, our assessment has identified state-of-the-art level reproducibility, excellent linearity, stability over 48°C at 4°C for the conventional parameters, lack of carry-over (<0.2%), and comparability with the routine instruments. These features would make the instrument suitable for immediate and smooth introduction in the hematology laboratory. Flags for abnormal cells are efficient; flag for blast cells has high sensitivity and predictive value of negative results. Additional benefits are provided by a competent interpretation of cell distribution scattergrams in samples from patients with specific hematological disorders. CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated good analytical and useful diagnostic performance of this new instrument, including effective selection of abnormal samples for informed microscope morphological analysis.