Background. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the microbial composition of the gut and its possible association with the Mediterranean diet (MD) after adjusting for demographic and anthropometric characteristics in a sample of healthy young Italian adults. Methods. Gut microbiota, demographic information, and data on adherence to MD and physical activity (PA) habits were collected in a sample of 140 university students (48.6% males, mean age 22.5 ± 2.9) with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 22.4 ± 2.8 kg/m2 (15.2–33.8) and a mean PA level of 3006.2 ± 2973.6 metabolic equivalent (MET)-minutes/week (148–21,090). Results. A high prevalence of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes was found in all the fecal samples. Significant dissimilarities in the microbiota composition were found on the basis of MD adherence and PA levels (p = 0.001). At the genus level, Streptococcus and Dorea were highly abundant in overweight/obese individuals, Ruminococcus and Oscillospira in participants with lower adherence to MD, and Lachnobacterium in subjects with low levels of PA (p = 0.001). A significantly higher abundance of Paraprevotella was shown by individuals with lower BMI, lower MD adherence, and lower PA levels (p = 0.001). Conclusions. This study contributes to the characterization of the gut microbiome of healthy humans. The findings suggest the role of diet and PA in determining gut microbiota variability.

The importance of a healthy diet is unquestionable nowadays. Scientific evidence shows increased risk of obesity, diabetes as well as cardiovascular diseases attributable to an inadequate diet, both in developed and developing countries. At the same time, the dietary patterns of our population are increasingly based on nutrient-poor foods with high levels of fat, gradually moving away from a healthy eating pattern. Achieving healthy habits in our fast-food society might not be an easy task. Research undertaken in school contexts after interventions through educational programmes indicates more or less significant results in the short term. The problem lies in how to instil understanding and awareness about the importance of dietary changes and ensure the acquisition of good eating habits. Schools can and must provide a variety of opportunities to allow constructive dialogues and an effective consciousness. The aim of this paper is to reveal how the reading of a classic novel in a fourth-grade class might become a link in the chain which enables the promotion of health-consciousness about food in children, simultaneously with the implementation of curricular contents in both Spanish and English languages. This task provoked an enriching and reflective dialogue whilst creating a positive and appropriate climate for the development of a conscious attitude and the subsequent construction of healthy behaviours. The discussion with 9-10-year-old children regarding messages derived after the reading of children literature, promotes changes in the perception of healthy lifestyles.