Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Determinants of Functional Food Consumption in an Adult Population of the Balearic Islands

Background/Aims: Studies about functional food (FF) consumption among south Europeans are scarce. The aim of this study was to assess sociodemographic and lifestyle determinants of FF consumption in adult inhabitants of the Balearic Islands. Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional, nutritional survey was conducted. The target population consisted of all inhabitants aged 16-65 years living in the Balearic Islands. FFs were selected from a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics were also assessed. Results: A high percentage of the population consumed FFs (skimmed milk, fiber-rich bread/cookies, probiotics, breakfast cereals and tea). Gender was a significant determinant for FF consumption. Females were more likely to consume soy milk, fiber-rich bread/cookies and tea; males preferred to consume breakfast cereals. FF consumption was significantly associated with increasing age in both genders. Fiber-rich bread/cookies were especially consumed by individuals with medium education, and breakfast cereals were consumed by respondents with a medium income. Physically active adults were more likely to consume soy milk, breakfast cereals, probiotics and red wine, and obese individuals were less likely to consume breakfast cereals and fiber-rich bread/cookies. Conclusions: A high percentage of the study population consumed FFs. Gender, age, marital status, education level, body mass index and physical activity are factors associated with FF consumption. (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Base

Several anthropometric measurements and breast cancer risk: results of the E3N cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between various anthropometric characteristics and breast cancer. DESIGN: Longitudinal prospective cohort study. Follow-up between 1995 and 2000.Subjects:In total, 69 116 women (age: 45-70 years; mean follow-up: 3.6 years), 275 premenopausal and 860 postmenopausal incident invasive breast cancers. MEASUREMENTS: Self-reported height, weight, breast, thorax, waist and hip circumferences and calculated body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) at baseline. RESULTS: A slight increase in risk with increasing height was found. Weight, BMI, thorax and waist circumferences and WHR were negatively related to breast cancer risk among premenopausal women. The relationships became non significant after additional adjustment for BMI. An increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer with an android body shape (WHR>0.87) might possibly be confined to obese women. Among postmenopausal women, all anthropometric measurements of corpulence were positively associated with breast cancer risk but became non significant after additional adjustment for BMI. No difference in risk of postmenopausal breast cancer according to HRT use was observed. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed that adiposity was negatively associated to premenopausal breast cancer risk and positively associated to postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Further studies will be needed to specify clearly the association between WHR and breast cancer risk, particularly before menopause

Are humus forms, mesofauna and microflora in subalpine forest soils sensitive to thermal conditions?

This study focuses on the biological and morphological development of humus profiles in forested Italian Alpine soils as a function of climate. Humus form description, systematic investigation of microannelid communities and polyphasic biochemical fingerprinting of soil microbial communities (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA)) were performed to compare sites differing in mean annual temperature due to different altitude and exposure. Although the soil biota showed complex responses, several differences in soil biological properties seem to be due to thermal differences. Although soil acidity also determines biological properties, it is not a state factor but rather influenced by them. The thickness of the organic layer and the acidification of the subjacent mineral horizon increased under cooler conditions (north-exposure; higher altitude), whereas the thickness of the A horizon inversely decreased. Species richness of microannelid assemblages was higher under warmer conditions (south-exposure; lower altitude) and the vertical distribution of microannelids shifted along the gradient to lower temperatures from predominant occurrence in the mineral soil to exclusive occurrence in the organic layer. Microbial biomass (total PLFA) was higher at the cooler sites; the prevalence of Gram-negative bacteria could be ascribed to their better adaptation to lower temperature, pH and nutrient contents. The δ13C signatures of the PLFA markers suggested a lower decomposition rate at the cooler sites, resulting in a lower respiratory loss and an accumulation of weakly decomposed organic material. DGGE data supported the PLFA results. Both parameters reflected the expected thermal sequence. This multidisciplinary case study provided indications of an association of climate, mesofauna and microbiota using the humus form as an overall link. More data are however needed and further investigations are encouraged