Effect of moderate beer consumption (with and without ethanol) on osteoporosis in early postmenopausal women: Results of a pilot parallel clinical trial

Osteoporosis is a chronic progressive bone disease characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) and micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to an increase in bone fragility and the risk of fractures. A well-known risk factor for bone loss is postmenopausal status. Beer may have a protective effect against osteoporosis associated with its content of silicon, polyphenols, iso-α-acids and ethanol, and its moderate consumption may therefore help to reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women.Accordingly, a 2-year controlled clinical intervention study was conducted to evaluate if a moderate daily intake of beer with (AB) or without alcohol (NAB) could have beneficial effects on bone tissue. A total of 31 postmenopausal women were assigned to three study groups: 15 were administered AB (330 mL/day) and six, NAB (660 mL/day), whereas, the 10 in the control group refrained from consuming alcohol, NAB, and hop-related products. At baseline and subsequent assessment visits, samples of plasma and urine were taken to analyze biochemical parameters, and data on medical history, diet, and exercise were collected. BMD and the trabecular bone score (TBS) were determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Markers of bone formation (bone alkaline phosphatase [BAP] and N-propeptide of type I collagen [PINP]) and bone resorption (N-telopeptide of type I collagen [NTX] and C-telopeptide of type I collagen [CTX]) were determined annually.Bone formation markers had increased in the AB and NAB groups compared to the control after the 2-year intervention. However, the evolution of BMD and TBS did not differ among the three groups throughout the study period.Therefore, according to the findings of this pilot study, moderate beer intake does not seem to have a protective effect against bone loss in early post-menopausal women.Copyright © 2022 Trius-Soler, Tresserra-Rimbau, Moreno, Peris, Estruch and Lamuela-Raventós

Predictors of adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet in the PREDIMED trial.

BACKGROUND: Determinants of dietary changes obtained with a nutritional intervention promoting the Mediterranean diet have been rarely evaluated. AIM: To identify predictors of higher success of an intervention aimed to increase adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MeDiet) in individuals at high cardiovascular risk participating in a trial for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea) trial. Candidate predictors included demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, and baseline dietary habits. METHODS: A total of 1,048 asymptomatic subjects aged 55-80 years allocated to the active intervention groups (subjects in the control group were excluded). Participants' characteristics were assessed at baseline among subjects. Dietary changes were evaluated after 12 months. Main outcome measures were: attained changes in five dietary goals: increases in (1) fruit consumption, (2) vegetable consumption, (3) monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)/saturated fatty acid (SFA) ratio, and decreases in (4) sweets and pastries consumption, (5) and meat consumption. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations between the candidate predictors and likelihood of attaining optimum dietary change (improved adherence to a MeDiet). RESULTS: Among men, positive changes toward better compliance with the MeDiet were more frequent among non-diabetics, and among those with worse dietary habits at baseline (higher consumption of meat, higher SFA intake, lower consumption of fruit and vegetables). Among women, marital status (married) and worse baseline dietary habits (high in meats, low in fruits and vegetables) were the strongest predictors of success in improving adherence to the MeDiet. CONCLUSIONS: Some participant characteristics (marital status and baseline dietary habits) could contribute to predicting the likelihood of achieving dietary goals in interventions aimed to improve adherence to a MeDiet, and may be useful for promoting individualized long-term dietary changes and improving the effectiveness of dietary counseling

The effects of the mediterranean diet on biomarkers of vascular wall inflammation and plaque vulnerability in subjects with high risk for cardiovascular disease. A randomized trial

Background: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with reduced morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease. However, how the MD exerts its effects is not fully known. Aim: To assess the 12-month effects of two enhanced MDs compared to a low-fat diet on inflammatory biomarkers related to atherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability in a subcohort of the PREDIMED (Prevencio´n con Dieta Mediterra´nea) study. Methods: A total of 164 participants at high risk for cardiovascular disease were randomized into three diet groups: MD supplemented with 50 mL/d of extra virgin olive oil (MD+EVOO) or 30 g/d of nuts (MD+Nuts) and a low-fat diet. Changes in classical cardiovascular risk factors, inflammatory biomarkers of atherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability were measured after 12 months of intervention. Results: Compared to participants in the low-fat diet group, those receiving MD+EVOO and MD+Nuts showed a higher decrease in systolic (6 mmHg) and diastolic (3 mmHg) blood pressure (P = 0.02; both), as well as a reduction of 10% and 8% in LDL-cholesterol (P = 0.04), respectively. Patients in the MD+Nuts group showed a significant reduction of 34% in CD40 expression on monocyte surface compared to low-fat diet patients (P = 0.03). In addition, inflammatory biomarkers related to plaque instability such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 were reduced by 45% and 35% and 95% and 90% in the MD+EVOO and MD+Nuts groups, respectively (P,0.05; all) compared to the low-fat diet group. Likewise, sICAM and Pselectin were also reduced by 50% and 27%, respectively in the MD+EVOO group (P = 0.04) and P-selectin by 19% in MD+ Nuts group (P = 0.04) compared to the low-fat diet group. Conclusions: Adherence to the MD is associated with an increase in serum markers of atheroma plaque stability which may explain, at least in part, the protective role of MD against ischemic heart disease

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet

BACKGROUND: Observational cohort studies and a secondary prevention trial have shown an inverse association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular risk. We conducted a randomized trial of this diet pattern for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events. METHODS: In a multicenter trial in Spain, we randomly assigned participants who were at high cardiovascular risk, but with no cardiovascular disease at enrollment, to one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts, or a control diet (advice to reduce dietary fat). Participants received quarterly individual and group educational sessions and, depending on group assignment, free provision of extra-virgin olive oil, mixed nuts, or small nonfood gifts. The primary end point was the rate of major cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes). On the basis of the results of an interim analysis, the trial was stopped after a median follow-up of 4.8 years. RESULTS: A total of 7447 persons were enrolled (age range, 55 to 80 years); 57% were women. The two Mediterranean-diet groups had good adherence to the intervention, according to self-reported intake and biomarker analyses. A primary end-point event occurred in 288 participants. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios were 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54 to 0.92) and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.54 to 0.96) for the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil (96 events) and the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with nuts (83 events), respectively, versus the control group (109 events). No diet-related adverse effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Among persons at high cardiovascular risk, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events

Effects of 1-year intervention with a mediterranean diet on plasma fatty acid composition and metabolic syndrome in a population at high cardiovascular risk

Background & Aims: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has become an important public concern due to its increasing prevalence. An altered fatty acid composition has been associated with MetS, but the Mediterranean diet has been shown to have a protective effect. The aim of the present study was to analyze the influence of a Mediterranean dietary pattern, as assessed by the biomarkers of food supplied, on the plasma fatty acid composition and its relation with MetS after 1 year of intervention. Methods: A total of 424 subjects were randomly selected from the PREDIMED randomized dietary trial after completing a 1- year intervention program. Participants aged 55 to 80 years and at high risk of cardiovascular disease were randomly assigned to three dietary interventions: Mediterranean diet supplemented with virgin olive oil or nuts, or a low-fat diet. Results: After 1 year of intervention participants in the virgin olive oil group showed significantly increased plasma concentrations of palmitic and oleic acids, but reduced proportions of margaric, stearic, and linoleic acids. In turn, subjects in the nut group showed significantly increased levels of palmitic, linoleic, and a-linolenic acids, but reduced proportions of myristic, margaric, palmitoleic, and dihommo-c-linoleic acids. Increases in the biomarkers of foods supplied to the Mediterranean diet groups, i.e., oleic and a-linolenic acids, were beneficially associated with the incidence, reversion and prevalence of MetS. No weight changes were observed among participants. Conclusions: The nut and olive oil diets induced a fatty acid composition that has been shown to be beneficial in the face of MetS. Therefore, a Mediterranean diet rich in fats of vegetable origin may be a useful tool for the management of MetS without the need for concerns over weight gain due to its high fat content

Gazpacho consumption is associated with lower blood pressure and reduced hypertension in a high cardiovascular risk cohort. Cross-sectional study of the PREDIMED trial

(R.M. Lamuela-Raventos). + MODEL Please cite this article in press as: Medina-Remón A, et al., Gazpacho consumption is associated with lower blood pressure and reduced hypertension in a high cardiovascular risk cohort. Abstract Background and aim: Hypertension is a major public health problem and a leading cause of death and disability in both developed and developing countries, affecting onequarter of the world's adult population. Our aim was to evaluate whether the consumption of gazpacho, a Mediterranean vegetable-based cold soup rich in phytochemicals, is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) and/or reduced prevalence of hypertension in individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Methods and results: We selected 3995 individuals (58% women, mean age 67 y) at high cardiovascular risk (81% hypertensive) recruited into the PREDIMED study. BP, weight, and dietary and physical activity data were collected. In multivariate linear regression analyses, after adjustment, moderate and high gazpacho consumption categories were associated with reduced mean systolic BP of À1.9 mm Hg [95% confidence interval (CI): À3.4; À0.6] and À2.6 mm Hg (CI: À4.2; À1.0), respectively, and reduced diastolic BP of À1.5 mm Hg (CI: À2.3; À0.6) and À1.9 mm Hg (CI: À2.8; À1.1). By multiple-adjusted logistic regression analysis, gazpacho consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension, with OR Z 0.85 (CI: 0.73; 0.99) for each 250 g/week increase and OR Z 0.73 (CI: 0.55; 0.98) for high gazpacho consumption groups compared to the no-consumption group. Conclusions: Gazpacho consumption was inversely associated with systolic and diastolic BP and prevalence of hypertension in a cross-sectional Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk. The association between gazpacho intake and reduction of BP is probably due to synergy among several bioactive compounds present in the vegetable ingredients used to make the recipe.

The effect of seasoning with herbs on the nutritional, safety and sensory properties of reduced-sodium fermented Cobrançosa cv. table olives

This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of seasoning Cobrancosa table olives in a brine with aromatic ingredients, in order to mask the bitter taste given by KCl when added to reduced-sodium fermentation brines. Olives were fermented in two different salt combinations: Brine A, containing 8% NaCl and, Brine B, a reduced-sodium brine, containing 4% NaCl + 4% KCl. After the fermentation the olives were immersed in seasoning brines with NaCl (2%) and the aromatic herbs (thyme, oregano and calamintha), garlic and lemon. At the end of the fermentation and two weeks after seasoning, the physicochemical, nutritional, organoleptic, and microbiological parameters, were determined. The olives fermented in the reduced-sodium brines had half the sodium concentration, higher potassium and calcium content, a lower caloric level, but were considered, by a sensorial panel, more bitter than olives fermented in NaCl brine. Seasoned table olives, previously fermented in Brine A and Brine B, had no significant differences in the amounts of protein (1.23% or 1.11%), carbohydrates (1.0% or 0.66%), fat (20.0% or 20.5%) and dietary fiber (3.4% or 3.6%). Regarding mineral contents, the sodium-reduced fermented olives, presented one third of sodium, seven times more potassium and three times more calcium than the traditional olives fermented in 8% NaCl. Additionally, according to the panelists' evaluation, seasoning the olives fermented in 4% NaCl + 4% KCl, resulted in a decrease in bitterness and an improvement in the overall evaluation and flavor. Escherichia coli and Salmonella were not found in the olives produced.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dietary inflammatory index and anthropometric measures of obesity in a population sample at high cardiovascular risk from the PREDIMED trial

The dietary inflammatory index (DII) is a new tool to assess the inflammatory potential of diet. We aimed to determine the association between the DII and body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist to height ratio (WHtR). We conducted a cross-sectional study of 7,236 participants recruited into the PREDIMED trial (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea). Information from a validated 137-item food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate energy, foods and nutrients. A 14-item dietary screener was used to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MeDiet). Sex-specific multivariable linear regression models were fitted to estimate differences (and 95% confidence intervals) in BMI, waist circumference and WHtR across quintiles of the DII. All nutrient intakes, healthy foods and adherence to the MeDiet were higher in the quintile with lowest DII score (more anti-inflammatory values) except for animal protein, saturated and monounsaturated fat. Though an inverse association between DII and total energy was apparent, the DII was associated with higher average BMI, waist circumference and WHtR after adjusting for known risk factors. The adjusted difference in WHtR for women and men between the highest and lowest quintile of DII was 1.60% (95% CI 0.87-2.33) and 1.04% (95% CI 0.35-1.74), respectively. Pro-inflammatory scores remained associated with obesity after controlling for the effect that adherence to a MeDiet had on inflammation. In conclusion, this study shows a direct association between the DII and indices of obesity and supports the hypothesis that diet may have a role in the development of obesity through inflammatory modulation mechanisms

Obesity indexes and total mortality among elderly subjects at high cardiovascular risk: The PREDIMED study

Different indexes of regional adiposity have been proposed for identifying persons at higher risk of death. Studies specifically assessing these indexes in large cohorts are scarce. It would also be interesting to know whether a dietary intervention may counterbalance the adverse effects of adiposity on mortality. METHODS: We assessed the association of four different anthropometric indexes (waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI) and height) with all-cause mortality in 7447 participants at high cardiovascular risk from the PREDIMED trial. Forty three percent of them were men (55 to 80 years) and 57% were women (60 to 80 years). All of them were initially free of cardiovascular disease. The recruitment took place in 11 recruiting centers between 2003 and 2009. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, sex, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, intervention group, family history of coronary heart disease, and leisure-time physical activity, WC and WHtR were found to be directly associated with a higher mortality after 4.8 years median follow-up. The multivariable-adjusted HRs for mortality of WHtR (cut-off points: 0.60, 0.65, 0.70) were 1.02 (0.78-1.34), 1.30 (0.97-1.75) and 1.55 (1.06-2.26). When we used WC (cut-off points: 100, 105 and 110 cm), the multivariable adjusted Hazard Ratios (HRs) for mortality were 1.18 (0.88-1.59), 1.02 (0.74-1.41) and 1.57 (1.19-2.08). In all analyses, BMI exhibited weaker associations with mortality than WC or WHtR. The direct association between WHtR and overall mortality was consistent within each of the three intervention arms of the trial. CONCLUSIONS: Our study adds further support to a stronger association of abdominal obesity than BMI with total mortality among elderly subjects at high risk of cardiovascular disease. We did not find evidence to support that the PREDIMED intervention was able to counterbalance the harmful effects of increased adiposity on total mortality. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN35739639

Alcohol intake, wine consumption and the development of depression: the PREDIMED study

Alcoholic beverages are widely consumed. Depression, the most prevalent mental disorder worldwide, has been related to alcohol intake. We aimed to prospectively assess the association between alcohol intake and incident depression using repeated measurements of alcohol intake. METHODS: We followed-up 5,505 high-risk men and women (55 to 80 y) of the PREDIMED Trial for up to seven years. Participants were initially free of depression or a history of depression, and did not have any history of alcohol-related problems. A 137-item validated food frequency questionnaire administered by a dietician was repeated annually to assess alcohol intake. Participants were classified as incident cases of depression when they reported a new clinical diagnosis of depression, and/or initiated the use of antidepressant drugs. Cox regression analyses were fitted over 23,655 person-years. RESULTS: Moderate alcohol intake within the range of 5 to 15 g/day was significantly associated with lower risk of incident depression (hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.72 (0.53 to 0.98) versus abstainers). Specifically, wine consumption in the range of two to seven drinks/week was significantly associated with lower rates of depression (HR (95% CI) = 0.68 (0.47 to 0.98)). CONCLUSIONS: Moderate consumption of wine may reduce the incidence of depression, while heavy drinkers seem to be at higher risk