Measuring relational wellbeing: construct validity in pre-COVID-Era UK; generalizability across COVID-lockdown-Era India, Greece, and UK.

Aim: In the present studies, we examine the construct validity and criterion-related validity of a previously unpublished, eight-item measure of relational wellbeing. Methods: First, in two pre-COVID-Era pilot studies within the UK (n's = 207 and 146, respectively), results of exploratory factor analyses revealed that-with the possible exception of one item regarding close relationships-the items assessed individual differences along a single dimension (i.e., relational wellbeing), rather than two distinct dimensions (i.e., social connections and close relationships). Second, in an initial pre-COVID-Era main study within the UK (n = 192), results of confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the hypothesized one-dimensional factor pattern, although the same problematic item from the pilot studies continued to under-perform relative to the other seven items. Findings: In a subsequent COVID-Lockdown-Era main study across India (n = 205), Greece (n = 354), and the UK (n = 390), results of confirmatory factor analyses established that-after omitting the same problematic item that had surfaced in the preceding studies-a one-dimensional factor pattern provided equally satisfactory fit for the three samples. Original value: Although we had not set out to test a priori hypotheses regarding mean similarities or differences in relational wellbeing among our COVID-Lockdown-Era studies, results of an analysis of variance revealed that persons within the UK scored significantly lower in relational wellbeing than did persons in India or Greece. Limitations: As noted above, one particular item repeatedly performed poorly in factor analyses; this item ideally should be dropped from the relational wellbeing scale in future research.

Could Insulin Be a Better Regulator of Appetite/Satiety Balance and Body Weight Maintenance in Response to Glucose Exposure Compared to Sucrose Substitutes? Unraveling Current Knowledge and Searching for More Appropriate Choices.

BACKGROUND: Insulin exerts a crucial impact on glucose control, cellular growing, function, and metabolism. It is partially modulated by nutrients, especially as a response to the intake of foods, including carbohydrates. Moreover, insulin can exert an anorexigenic effect when inserted into the hypothalamus of the brain, in which a complex network of an appetite/hunger control system occurs. The current literature review aims at thoroughly summarizing and scrutinizing whether insulin release in response to glucose exposure may be a better choice to control body weight gain and related diseases compared to the use of sucrose substitutes (SSs) in combination with a long-term, well-balanced diet. METHODS: This is a comprehensive literature review, which was performed through searching in-depth for the most accurate scientific databases and applying effective and relevant keywords. RESULTS: The insulin action can be inserted into the hypothalamic orexigenic/anorexigenic complex system, activating several anorexigenic peptides, increasing the hedonic aspect of food intake, and effectively controlling the human body weight. In contrast, SSs appear not to affect the orexigenic/anorexigenic complex system, resulting in more cases of uncontrolled body weight maintenance while also increasing the risk of developing related diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Most evidence, mainly derived from in vitro and in vivo animal studies, has reinforced the insulin anorexigenic action in the hypothalamus of the brain. Simultaneously, most available clinical studies showed that SSs during a well-balanced diet either maintain or even increase body weight, which may indirectly be ascribed to the fact that they cannot cover the hedonic aspect of food intake. However, there is a strong demand for long-term longitudinal surveys to effectively specify the impact of SSs on human metabolic health.

Evaluating the sociodemographic, anthropometric and lifestyle parameters, depression, quality of life, cognitive status, physical activity, and Mediterranean diet adherence of older adults in pre- and post-Covid-19 periods: a comparative cross-sectional study.

Ojective: Covid-19 pandemic has exerted deleterious effects on several aspect of mental health worldwide. The detrimental medical complications, the increased prevalence of morbidity and the rapid international spread of Covid-19 have resulted in urgent public health concerns and political measures across the world. This comparative, cross-sectional study aims to assess the changes that were established in sociodemographic, anthropometric and lifestyle parameters and several aspects of mental health of older adults due to Covid-19 pandemic by comparing the pre-Covid period with the post-Covid period. Methods: Qualified questionnaires were applied for assessing the prevalence of depression, quality of life, cognitive status, and Mediterranean Diet (MD) adherence, as well as sociodemographic, anthropometric and lifestyle parameters in 3388 older adults in the pre- and post-Covid period. Results: Covid-19 pandemic independently affected type of residence, smoking habits, BMI and WHR status, risk of depression, quality of life, cognitive status, physical activity levels, and MD adherence. Conclusions: Covid -19 pandemic has exerted persistent detrimental effects on daily quality of life and mental health of older adults in the post-Covid period. Future strategies and public policies should develop healthcare programs to provide psychological and nutritional counseling and support to older adults to minimize the detrimental effects of Covid pandemic.

Curcumin as a Multifunctional Spice Ingredient against Mental Disorders in Humans: Current Clinical Studies and Bioavailability Concerns.

BACKGROUND: Mental disorders in terms of depression, anxiety, and stress are one of the major causes of burden globally. Over the last two decades, the use of plant-based substances in the treatment of mental disorders in combination or not with medication has increasingly attracted the interest of the scientific research community. However, even if there is a plethora of naturally occurring bioactive compounds, most of them have low bioavailability, rendering them unable to insert into the bloodstream to exert their biological activities. METHODS: This is a comprehensive narrative review that critically summarizes and scrutinizes the new approaches to the treatment of mental disorders using curcumin, also highlighting its bioavailability properties. The most accurate were searched using effective and relevant keywords. RESULTS: This narrative review reveals substantial evidence that curcumin can exert significant effects on several mental disorders. However, despite the low cost, the extensive and confirmed potency of curcumin and its involvement in signaling pathways and the scientifically confirmed data regarding its molecular mechanisms of action against mental disorders, this naturally occurring compound presents low oral bioavailability. Pharmaceutical technology has provided solutions to increase the bioavailability of curcumin. Combination with piperine, galactomannosides, liposomal formulation or nanoformulation overcomes the bioavailability and solubility disadvantages. CONCLUSIONS: Although curcumin demonstrates anti-anxiety, anti-depressive and anti-stress properties, studies on humans are limited and heterogeneous. Further research is highly recommended to determine the most functional formula, dose, duration, and possible side effects of curcumin on mental disorders in humans. Based on the current knowledge, the curcumin nanoformulation and Theracurmin, a form of colloidal submicroscopic particles, seem to be the most effective bioavailable formulations, which may be examined in future clinical human studies.

Association of Mediterranean diet adherence with disease progression, quality of life and physical activity, sociodemographic and anthropometric parameters, and serum biomarkers in community-dwelling older adults with multiple sclerosis: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) constitutes a chronic inflammatory and degenerative demyelinating disease, which can progressively lead to a broad range of sensorimotor, cognitive, visual, and autonomic function symptoms, independently of patient' age. However, the clinical studies that examine the role of dietary patterns against disease progression and symptomatology remain extremely scarce, especially concerning Mediterranean diet (MD) in the subgroup age of older adults with MS. AIMS: The present study aimed to investigate the potential impact of MD compliance in disease progression and symptoms severity as well as quality of life and physical activity of community-dwelling older adults with MS. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional conducted on 227 older adults with no history of other severe disease. Relevant questionnaires were applied to collect sociodemographic and anthropometric factors by face-to face interviews between patients and qualified personnel. Serum biomarkers were retrieved by patients' medical records. RESULTS: Higher MD compliance was independently associated with younger patients' age, lower risk of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity, decreased disease progression and higher muscle mass, as well as greater physical activity, better quality of life, and adequate serum ferritin and albumin levels CONCLUSIONS: MD may exert beneficial effects in older adults with MS. Future strategies and policies are highly recommended to inform both the general population and the older patients with MS for the beneficial effects of MD in preventing MS and in improving or even slowing down the disease progression and symptoms severity of MS.

Exercise as a Promising Agent against Cancer: Evaluating Its Anti-Cancer Molecular Mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Cancer cases are continuously increasing, while the prevalence rates of physical inactivity are also continuously increasing. Physical inactivity is a causative factor in non-communicable diseases, including cancer. However, the potential beneficial effects of exercise on cancer treatment have not received much attention so far. The aim of this study was to highlight the relationship between cancer and exercise on a molecular basis. METHODS: Comprehensive and in-depth research was conducted in the most accurate scientific databases by using relevant and effective keywords. RESULTS: The mechanisms by which exercise may reduce cancer risk and/or progression may include the metabolic profile of hormones, systemic inflammation reduction, insulin sensitivity increase, antioxidant capacity augmentation, the boost to the immune system, and the direct effect on the tumor. There is currently substantial evidence that the effect of exercise may predict a stronger association with cancer and could supplementarily be embedded in cancer clinical practice to improve disease progression and prognosis. CONCLUSION: The field of this study requires interconnecting the overall knowledge of exercise physiology with cancer biology and cancer clinical oncology to provide the basis for personalized targeting strategies that can be merged with training as a component of a holistic co-treatment approach to optimize cancer healthcare.

May Nutritional Status Positively Affect Disease Progression and Prognosis in Patients with Esophageal and Pharyngeal Cancers? A Scoping Review of the Current Clinical Studies.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition in esophageal and pharyngeal cancer patients constitutes a common and serious concern, which significantly reduces patients' prognoses. Cancers of the esophagus and the pharynx can considerably impair feeding in patients, resulting in severe undernutrition. This is a scoping review that intends to critically analyze the most well-designed clinical studies investigating the potential beneficial impact of diverse nutritional assessment tools on the prognosis of patients with esophageal and pharyngeal cancers. METHODS: The most accurate and remarkable scientific databases were comprehensively explored utilizing relative keywords to detect clinical studies that investigate whether nutritional status may affect disease prognosis. RESULTS: Several assessment tools have evaluated and highlighted the potential beneficial impact of nutritional status on disease progression and patients' prognosis in both esophageal and pharyngeal cancers. Regarding esophageal cancer, CONUT, PNI, PG-SGA, and NRS-2002 are more commonly used, while albumin is also frequently evaluated. Regarding pharyngeal cancers, fewer studies are currently available. PNI has been evaluated, and its significance as a factor for shorter survival' times has been highlighted. The Comprehensive Nutritional Index has also been evaluated with positive results, as well as NRS 2002, GPS, and body-weight status. However, there is currently a lack of studies with an adequate number of women with cancer. An international literature gap was identified concerning follow-up studies with adequate methodology. CONCLUSIONS: Nutritional status may significantly affect disease progression and patients' survival, highlighting the significance of a great nutritional status in individuals with esophageal and pharyngeal cancers. Further large-scale and well-designed prospective surveys should be performed to verify the potential beneficial effects of adequate nourishment in people suffering from cancer of the esophagus and pharynx.

Association of Mediterranean Diet Adherence with Sociodemographic, Anthropometric, and Lifestyle Factors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Greece.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected several aspects of people's lifestyle worldwide. Healthy dietary patterns and their bioactive components may improve or even co-treat the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in several aspects of people's lifestyle and mental health in daily life. The aim of this survey is to evaluate the potential effect of Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence against COVID-19-induced complications. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey performed on 3721 adults aged between 18 and 65 years old, which aims to evaluate the potential association of MD adherence with multiple sociodemographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle factors during the COVID-19 pandemic period. RESULTS: This study has supported evidence that elevated MD compliance was independently related to female gender, better economic status, no smoking, increased risk of abdominal obesity, higher physical activity levels, greater prevalence of adequate sleep quality, better quality of life, and reduced probability of anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic by adjusting for multiple confounders. CONCLUSIONS: MD compliance may improve or even co-treat the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in several aspect of people's lifestyle in daily life. Further research is strongly recommended exploring the possible beneficial effects of the MD against COVID-19 lifestyle complications in daily life.

Postpartum Depression Is Associated with Maternal Sociodemographic and Anthropometric Characteristics, Perinatal Outcomes, Breastfeeding Practices, and Mediterranean Diet Adherence.

Postpartum depression, with a prevalence ranging between 14% and 25% worldwide, has been considered an urgent health concern that negatively affects both mothers' and their infants' health. Postpartum depression may negatively affect maternal sociodemographic and anthropometric parameters and lifestyle factors. Nutrition has recently been identified as a crucial factor for the management and co-treatment of postpartum depression. This survey aims to determine the possible association of postpartum depression with mothers' socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics, perinatal outcomes, breastfeeding practices, and Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey, which was performed on 3941 women during the postpartum period. Postpartum depression was assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Anthropometric parameters and perinatal outcomes were retrieved from mothers' medical records. Sociodemographic data and breastfeeding practices were recorded by face-to-face interviews between enrolled mothers and trained personnel. Mediterranean diet adherence was assessed by MedDietScore. Both univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression were applied for analyzing our data. RESULTS: Postpartum depression was significantly associated with lower educational level, Greek nationality, higher prevalence of multiparity and overweight/obesity postpartum, higher incidence of caesarean section and not breastfeeding, and lower levels of MD adherence. In multivariate analysis, postpartum depression was independently associated with mothers' educational level, postpartum BMI status, type of delivery, breastfeeding practices, and MD adherence after adjusting for multiple confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study has provided evidence that elevated MD compliance was related to a decreased risk of postpartum depression. Additionally, postpartum depression was associated with multiple sociodemographic and anthropometric parameters, perinatal outcomes, and breastfeeding practices. Future well-designed, prospective studies with high-quality methodology should be performed to obtain conclusive results.

Amygdalin as a Promising Anticancer Agent: Molecular Mechanisms and Future Perspectives for the Development of New Nanoformulations for Its Delivery.

Cancer rates are increasing, and cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide. Amygdalin, also known as vitamin B17 (and laetrile, a synthetic compound), is a cyanogenic glycoside compound that is mainly found in the kernels and pulps of fruits. This compound has been proposed for decades as a promising naturally occurring substance which may provide anticancer effects. This is a comprehensive review which critically summarizes and scrutinizes the available studies exploring the anticancer effect of amygdalin, highlighting its potential anticancer molecular mechanisms as well as the need for a nontoxic formulation of this substance. In-depth research was performed using the most accurate scientific databases, e.g., PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science, applying effective, characteristic, and relevant keywords. There are several pieces of evidence to support the idea that amygdalin can exert anticancer effects against lung, breast, prostate, colorectal, cervical, and gastrointestinal cancers. Amygdalin has been reported to induce apoptosis of cancer cells, inhibiting cancer cells' proliferation and slowing down tumor metastatic spread. However, only a few studies have been performed in in vivo animal models, while clinical studies remain even more scarce. The current evidence cannot support a recommendation of the use of nutritional supplements with amygdalin due to its cyano-moiety which exerts adverse side effects. Preliminary data have shown that the use of nanoparticles may be a promising alternative to enhance the anticancer effects of amygdalin while simultaneously reducing its adverse side effects. Amygdalin seems to be a promising naturally occurring agent against cancer disease development and progression. However, there is a strong demand for in vivo animal studies as well as human clinical studies to explore the potential prevention and/or treatment efficiency of amygdalin against cancer. Moreover, amygdalin could be used as a lead compound by effectively applying recent developments in drug discovery processes.

Nutritional Risk and Sarcopenia Features in Patients with Crohn's Disease: Relation to Body Composition, Physical Performance, Nutritional Questionnaires and Biomarkers.

Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) face malnutrition risk, which, combined with inflammation, can lead to sarcopenia, associated with a worse prognosis. The purpose of the present study was to assess malnutrition and sarcopenia in patients with CD. Fifty-three patients (26 women) participated (38.1 ± 10.9 years, 79% in remission). Body composition, physical performance, nutritional questionnaires, and biomarkers were performed. Malnutrition was screened with the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and the Malnutrition Inflammation Risk Tool (MIRT) and was assessed with the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) tool using etiologic along with three different phenotypic criteria: low Body Mass Index (BMI), low Calf Circumference (CC), and low Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI). To find cases and evaluate sarcopenia, the Sarcopenia Questionnaire (SARC-F) and European Working Group on Sarcopenia2 (EWGSOP2) criteria were used. Malnutrition rates were 11.3% (n = 6), 7.5% (n = 4), and 5.6% (n = 3) based on low FFMI, CC, and BMI, correspondingly. Four (7%) patients had low Hand-Grip Strength (HGS), n = 8 (14.8%) had low Appendicular Lean Mass (ALM), and n = 3 (5.6%) had low gait speed. No-one had sarcopenia. A high albumin and triceps skinfold pattern, identified by principal component analysis, was related to reduced C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels (B = -0.180, SE = 0.085, p = 0.045). In conclusion, based on the studied anthropometric, nutritional, and functional variables, CD patients were not diagnosed with sarcopenia in the present study. Body composition patterns were related to the inflammatory burden, underlying the interplay of inflammation and malnutrition, even in remission states. Further studies on older populations and during disease exacerbation are necessary to explore the potential link between CD, inflammation, and sarcopenia.

Association of Maternal Pre-Pregnancy Overweight and Obesity with Childhood Anthropometric Factors and Perinatal and Postnatal Outcomes: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity in reproductive-aged women becomes a growing tendency in middle- and high-income populations. This study aimed to evaluate whether maternal excess body mass index (BMI) before gestation is associated with children's anthropometric characteristics, as well as perinatal and postnatal outcomes. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study performed on 5198 children aged 2-5 years old and their paired mothers, assigned from 9 different areas of Greece. Maternal and childhood anthropometric data, as well as perinatal and postnatal outcomes, were collected from medical history records or validated questionnaires. RESULTS: Prevalences of 24.4% and 30.6% of overweight/obesity were recorded for the enrolled children and their mothers 2-5 years postpartum. Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity was more frequently observed in older mothers and female children, and was also associated with high childbirth weight, preterm birth, high newborn ponderal index, caesarean section delivery, diabetes type 1, and childhood overweight/obesity at pre-school age. In multivariate analysis, maternal pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity was independently associated with a higher risk of childhood overweight/obesity at pre-school age, as well as with a higher increased incidence of childbirth weight, caesarean section delivery, and diabetes type 1. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal overweight/obesity rates before gestation were related with increased childhood weight status at birth and 2-5 years postpartum, highlighting the necessity of encouraging healthy lifestyle promotion, including healthier nutritional habits, and focusing on obesity population policies and nutritional interventions among women of reproductive age.

Sarcopenia and Sarcopenic Obesity and Osteoarthritis: A Discussion among Muscles, Fat, Bones, and Aging.

Aging is a physical procedure for people and nature. Our aging world is expanding because of the life span extension. Aging has a crucial relationship with our body composition (muscles, bones, and adipose tissue), which is characterized by an increase in fat mass and a gradual decrease in muscle mass and strength and bone density. These alterations affect physical performance and impact quality of life enhancing the risk for non-communicable diseases, immobilization, and disability. As far we know, osteoarthritis of lower limbs, sarcopenic obesity, and muscle mass and/or strength loss are treated separately. However, bones, muscles, adipose tissue, and aging appear to have an interconnection through a dialogue as they talk to each other. Health disorders are coming into the surface when this relationship is disrupted. The aim of our study is to search deeper into this interconnection, so that when adipose tissue increases, we have to take a look into the condition of muscle mass, bone, and connective tissue and vice versa, through the assessment of physical performance. Consequently, the triad muscle-bone-adipose tissue disorders by aging should be treated as a single entity.

Caesarean Section Delivery Is Associated with Childhood Overweight and Obesity, Low Childbirth Weight and Postnatal Complications: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and Objectives: In the last decades, simultaneously increasing trends have been recorded for both caesarean section delivery and childhood overweight/obesity around the world, which are considered serious public health concerns, negatively affecting child health. Aim: The present study aims to investigate whether caesarean section is associated with the increased rates of childhood overweight/obesity, low childbirth anthropometric indices and postnatal complications in pre-school age. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which 5215 pre-school children aged 2-5 years old were enrolled from nine different Greek regions after applying specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Non-adjusted and adjusted statistical analysis was performed to assess the impact of caesarean section in comparison to vaginal delivery. Results: Children delivered by caesarean section were significantly more frequently overweight or obese at the age of 2-5 years, also presenting a higher prevalence of low birth weight, length and head circumference. Caesarean section was also associated with higher incidence of asthma and diabetes type I at the age of 2-5 years. In a multivariate analysis, caesarean section increased the risk of childhood overweight/obesity and low childbirth anthropometric indices even if adjusting for several childhood and maternal confounding factors. Conclusions: Increasing trends were recorded for both caesarean section delivery and childhood overweight/obesity, which are considered serious public health concerns. Caesarean section independently increased childhood overweight/obesity in pre-school age, highlighting the emergent need to promote health policies and strategies to inform future mothers about its short and long-term risks and that this mode of delivery should preferably be performed only when there are strong medical recommendations in emergency obstetric conditions.

Evaluating the Relationship between Circadian Rhythms and Sleep, Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disorders: Current Clinical Evidence in Human Studies.

Circadian rhythms are generated by the circadian clock, a self-sustained internal timing system that exhibits 24-h rhythms in the body. Many metabolic, cellular, behavioral and physiological processes are regulated by the circadian clock in coordination with environmental cues. The present study is a comprehensive review of the currently existing evidence concerning the relationship between circadian rhythms and sleep, metabolic, and cardiovascular disorders. We thoroughly searched the online databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to find the existing clinical studies from the last twenty-three years (2000-2023). Circadian misalignment was found to be associated with an increase in the risk of metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity, as well as inadequate sleep quality. In this review article, all the included studies had a strength protocol design and all of them were conducted on humans. However, the most common limitations of them were the small sample size and the short time of the intervention. In conclusion, managing the factors that disrupt the optimal function of central and peripheral clocks can help to reduce the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, improving also sleep quality. Future studies should further explore the underlying mechanisms of the interconnections between circadian clocks and sleep, metabolic, and cardiovascular disorders. This may provide new opportunities for advance chronotherapy approach.

Mediterranean Diet and Sarcopenia Features in Apparently Healthy Adults over 65 Years: A Systematic Review.

Low muscle mass combined with changes in physical function and muscle quality is defined as sarcopenia. In people > 60 years, sarcopenia reaches 10% and tends to increase with age. Individual nutrients, such as protein, may have a protective role against sarcopenia, but recent evidence suggests that protein alone has been ineffective in increasing muscle strength. Dietary patterns, instead, with a high "anti-inflammatory" potential, such as the Mediterranean dietary pattern, have been considered as an emerging dietary remedy against sarcopenia. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence of the role of Mediterranean diet in sarcopenia prevention and/or improvement, including recent data, in healthy elders. We searched published studies about sarcopenia and the Mediterranean diet until December 2022 in Pubmed, Cochrane, Scopus search engine and grey literature. In total, ten articles were identified as relevant: four cross-sectional studies and six prospective. No clinical trial was identified. Only three studies assessed sarcopenia presence and four measured muscle mass, which is an essential criterion in sarcopenia diagnosis. Mediterranean diet adherence had, in general, a positive role in muscle mass and muscle function, while the results were less clear with regard to muscle strength. Additionally, there was no evidence of a positive effect of the Mediterranean diet on sarcopenia. There is a need for conduction of clinical trials in order to reach cause-effects conclusions regarding the importance of the Mediterranean diet in sarcopenia prevention and management in Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean populations.

The Association of Emotional Eating with Overweight/Obesity, Depression, Anxiety/Stress, and Dietary Patterns: A Review of the Current Clinical Evidence.

(1) Background: Emotional eating is considered as the propensity to eat in response to emotions. It is considered as a critical risk factor for recurrent weight gain. Such overeating is able to affect general health due to excess energy intake and mental health. So far, there is still considerable controversy on the effect of the emotional eating concept. The objective of this study is to summarize and evaluate the interconnections among emotional eating and overweight/obesity, depression, anxiety/stress, and dietary patterns; (2) Methods: This is a thorough review of the reported associations among emotional eating and overweight/obesity, depression, anxiety/stress, and dietary patterns. We compressively searched the most precise scientific online databases, e.g., PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar to obtain the most up-to-date data from clinical studies in humans from the last ten years (2013-2023) using critical and representative keywords. Several inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied for scrutinizing only longitudinal, cross-sectional, descriptive, and prospective clinical studies in Caucasian populations; (3) Results: The currently available findings suggest that overeating/obesity and unhealthy eating behaviors (e.g., fast food consumption) are associated with emotional eating. Moreover, the increase in depressive symptoms seems to be related with more emotional eating. Psychological distress is also related with a greater risk for emotional eating. However, the most common limitations are the small sample size and their lack of diversity. In addition, a cross-sectional study was performed in the majority of them; (4) Conclusions: Finding coping mechanisms for the negative emotions and nutrition education can prevent the prevalence of emotional eating. Future studies should further explain the underlying mechanisms of the interconnections among emotional eating and overweight/obesity, depression, anxiety/stress, and dietary patterns.

Increasing Muscle Mass in Elders through Diet and Exercise: A Literature Review of Recent RCTs.

This study aimed to review the current evidence on the independent and combined effects of diet and exercise and their impact on skeletal muscle mass in the elderly population. Skeletal muscle makes up approximately 40% of total body weight and is essential for performing daily activities. The combination of exercise and diet is known to be a potent anabolic stimulus through stimulation of muscle protein synthesis from amino acids. Aging is strongly associated with a generalized deterioration of physiological function, including a progressive reduction in skeletal muscle mass and strength, which in turn leads to a gradual functional impairment and an increased rate of disability resulting in falls, frailty, or even death. The term sarcopenia, which is an age-related syndrome, is primarily used to describe the gradual and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass (mainly in type II muscle fibers) and function. Multimodal training is emerging as a popular training method that combines a wide range of physical dimensions. On the other hand, nutrition and especially protein intake provide amino acids, which are essential for muscle protein synthesis. According to ESPEN, protein intake in older people should be at least 1 g/kgbw/day. Essential amino acids, such as leucine, arginine, cysteine, and glutamine, are of particular importance for the regulation of muscle protein synthesis. For instance, a leucine intake of 3 g administered alongside each main meal has been suggested to prevent muscle loss in the elderly. In addition, studies have shown that vitamin D and other micronutrients can have a protective role and may modulate muscle growth; nevertheless, further research is needed to validate these claims. Resistance-based exercise combined with a higher intake of dietary protein, amino acids, and/or vitamin D are currently recognized as the most effective interventions to promote skeletal muscle growth. However, the results are quite controversial and contradictory, which could be explained by the high heterogeneity among studies. It is therefore necessary to further assess the impact of each individual exercise and nutritional approach, particularly protein and amino acids, on human muscle turnover so that more efficient strategies can be implemented for the augmentation of muscle mass in the elderly.