Significant metabolic improvement by a water extract of olives: animal and human evidence.

PURPOSE: Dyslipidemia and impaired glucose metabolism are the main health issues of growing prevalence and significant high healthcare cost, requiring novel prevention and/or therapeutic approaches. Epidemiological and animal studies revealed that olive oil is an important dietary constituent, inducing normolipidemia. However, no studies have specifically investigated the polyphenol-rich water extract of olives (OLWPE), generated during olive oil production. METHODS: In the present work, we initially examined the effect of OLPWE on animals' metabolic parameters. Rats fed with a high-fat diet were treated with three different doses of OLPWE for 4 months. Additionally, bioavailability was explored. Afterwards, OLWPE's metabolic effect was explored in humans. Healthy volunteers consumed microencapsulated OLWPE for 4 weeks, in a food matrix [one portion (30 g) of a meat product]. RESULTS: High-fat-fed rats developed a metabolic dysfunction, with increased LDL and insulin levels and decreased HDL; this syndrome was significantly impaired when treated with OLWPE. Treated rats had increased total plasma antioxidant capacity, while several phenolic compounds were detected in their blood. These findings were also verified in humans that consumed OLWPE, daily, for 4 weeks. Interestingly, in individuals with elements of cardio-metabolic risk, OLWPE consumption resulted in reduced glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL and oxLDL levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our data clearly show that OLWPE can improve glucose and lipid profile, indicating its possible use in the design of functional food and/or therapeutic interventions.

Is there an association between eating behaviour and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in preschool children?

BACKGROUND: There is some evidence that aberrant eating behaviours and obesity co-occur with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. The present study is the first that aims to investigate the association between eating behaviours and ADHD symptoms in early childhood in a population-based cohort. METHODS: We included 471 preschool children from the Rhea mother-child cohort in Crete, Greece. Parents completed the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire to assess children's eating behaviour and the 36-item ADHD test (ADHDT) to evaluate ADHD symptoms at 4 years of age. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the association of eating behaviours with ADHD symptoms. RESULTS: Regarding children's food approach eating behaviours, we observed a positive association between food responsiveness and total ADHD index, as well as impulsivity, inattention and hyperactivity subscale, separately. Similarly, there was a significant positive association between emotional overeating and ADHD symptoms. With regard to children's food avoidant behaviours, food fussiness was found to be significantly associated with the impulsivity subscale. A dose-response association between the food approach behaviours and ADHD symptoms was also observed. Children on the medium and highest tertile of the food responsiveness subscale had increased scores on the ADHD total scale, as compared to those on the lowest tertile. As regards emotional overeating, children in the highest tertile of the scale had higher scores on ADHD total and hyperactivity. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide evidence that food approach eating behaviours such as food responsiveness and emotional overeating are associated with the increased ADHD symptoms in preschool children. Future studies to better understand this overlap will enhance potential interventions.

Metabolic profile in early pregnancy is associated with offspring adiposity at 4 years of age: the Rhea pregnancy cohort Crete, Greece.

CONTEXT: Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity may increase the risk of childhood obesity but it is unknown whether other metabolic factors in early pregnancy such as lipid profile and hypertension are associated with offspring cardiometabolic traits. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to investigate whether fasting lipid, glucose, and insulin levels during early pregnancy and maternal pre-pregnancy weight status, are associated with offspring adiposity measures, lipid levels and blood pressure at preschool age. DESIGN AND METHODS: The study included 618 mother-child pairs of the pregnancy cohort "Rhea" study in Crete, Greece. Pregnant women were recruited at the first prenatal visit (mean: 12 weeks, SD: 0.7). A subset of 348 women provided fasting serum samples for glucose and lipid measurements. Outcomes measures were body mass index, abdominal circumference, sum of skinfold thickness, and blood pressure measurements at 4 years of age. A subsample of 525 children provided non-fasting blood samples for lipid measurements. RESULTS: Pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity was associated with greater risk of offspring overweight/obesity (RR: 1.83, 95%CI: 1.19, 2.81), central adiposity (RR: 1.97, 95%CI: 1.11, 3.49), and greater fat mass by 5.10 mm (95%CI: 2.49, 7.71) at 4 years of age. These associations were more pronounced in girls. An increase of 40 mg/dl in fasting serum cholesterol levels in early pregnancy was associated with greater skinfold thickness by 3.30 mm (95%CI: 1.41, 5.20) at 4 years of age after adjusting for pre-pregnancy BMI and several other confounders. An increase of 10 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure in early pregnancy was associated with increased risk of offspring overweight/obesity (RR: 1.22, 95%CI: 1.03, 1.45), and greater skinfold thickness by 1.71 mm (95% CI: 0.57, 2.86) at 4 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: Metabolic dysregulation in early pregnancy may increase the risk of obesity at preschool age.

Association of trimester-specific gestational weight gain with fetal growth, offspring obesity, and cardiometabolic traits in early childhood.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of trimester-specific gestational weight gain with offspring fetal growth, obesity risk, and cardiometabolic health outcomes from birth to 4 years of age. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted the present study with 977 mother-child pairs of the pregnancy cohort "Rhea" study in Crete, Greece. We measured birthweight, body mass index from 6 months to 4 years of age, waist circumference, skinfold thickness, blood pressure, and blood levels of lipids, C-reactive protein, and adipose tissue hormones at 4 years of age. We used multiple linear and log Poisson regression models to examine the association of exposure with continuous or binary outcomes, respectively. RESULTS: Greater rate of gestational weight gain in the first trimester of pregnancy (per 200 g/wk) was associated with increased risk of overweight/obesity from 2 years (relative risk [RR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-1.42) to 4 years of age (RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.05-1.25), but not with birth size. Each 200 g/wk of weight gain in the first trimester of pregnancy was also associated with greater risk of high waist circumference (RR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.04-1.23), high sum of skinfold thickness (RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.02-1.29), and higher diastolic blood pressure at 4 years of age (ß, 0.43 mm Hg; 95% CI, 0.00-0.86). Greater rate of gestational weight gain during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy (per 200 g/wk) was associated with greater risk of large-for-gestational-age neonates (RR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.02, 1.45) and higher levels of cord blood leptin (ratio of geometric means, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.00-1.17), but not with child anthropometry at later ages. CONCLUSION: Timing of gestational weight gain may influence childhood cardiometabolic outcomes differentially.

A Mediterranean-like breakfast affects energy intake and appetite-related feelings.

Energy intake and appetite feelings after the consumption of two different types of breakfast, a high-fiber, traditional, Mediterranean-type breakfast and a low-fiber, Western-type breakfast were compared. Sixteen non-obese young men received the two treatments on separate days: the Mediterranean- and the Western-type breakfasts were isocaloric, similar in volume and macronutrient content, but different in fiber content. Following a 4-hour fast, subjects offered an ad libitum lunch. Food consumed and subjective feelings of hunger, fullness, and desire to eat were evaluated. Energy intake in the ad libitum lunch was significantly lower after the Mediterranean-type, compared to the Western-type breakfast, adjusting for previous day's energy intake (1488 ± 468 versus 1674 ± 416 kcal, respectively), whereas no energy compensation was made throughout the day. Furthermore, those who had the Mediterranean-type breakfast reported lower values in the desire to eat during study's course. These findings propose a fulfilling effect of a traditional, Mediterranean, high in fiber breakfast.

Adherence rates to the Mediterranean diet are low in a representative sample of Greek children and adolescents.

Data from studies in pediatric samples exploring adherence to the Mediterranean diet are scarce. The aim of the present work was to explore adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern in a representative sample of Greek children and adolescents. The study sample (n = 1305, 3-18 y) was representative of the Greek pediatric population in terms of sex and age. Information on participants' sociodemographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle characteristics were collected through telephone interviews. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet guidelines for adults and to the general dietary guidelines for children was evaluated using KIDMED scores: the higher the score, the more favorable the dietary pattern. The Goldberg cut-off limits for the ratio of energy intake:basal metabolic rate were used to evaluate dietary underreporting and children were accordingly classified as low energy reporters (LER) or non-LER. Only 11.3% of children and 8.3% of adolescents had an optimal KIDMED score (>/=8). In adolescents, partial correlation analysis revealed a negative weak association between KIDMED and BMI (r = -0.092; P = 0.031), which remained significant in the non-LER subgroup (r = -0.137, P = 0.011). Multiple regression analysis revealed that higher KIDMED scores were associated, in non-LER children, with less time spent on sedentary activities (P = 0.002) and higher paternal education (P = 0.050), whereas in adolescents, with younger age (P = 0.001), less time spent on sedentary activities (P = 0.015), higher maternal education (P = 0.014), and higher eating frequency (P = 0.041). In conclusion, low adherence rates to the Mediterranean diet were observed in Greek children and adolescents; this evidence needs to be further explored regarding its impact on health and disease.