No abstract

Over the past few years, interest in health research has increased, making improved health a global goal for 2030. The purpose of such research is to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing across individuals of all ages. It has been shown that nutrition plays a key role in the prevention of some chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. One of the aspects that characterises a healthy diet is a high intake of vegetables and fruits, as both are flavonoid-rich foods. Flavonoids are one of the main subclasses of dietary polyphenols and possess strong antioxidant activity and anti-carcinogenic properties. Moreover, some population-based studies have described a relationship between cancer risk and dietary flavonoid intake. In this context, the goal of this review was to provide an updated evaluation of the association between the risk of different types of cancers and dietary flavonoid intake. We analysed all relevant epidemiological studies from January 2008 to March 2019 using the PUBMED and Web of Science databases. In summary, this review concludes that dietary flavonoid intake is associated with a reduced risk of different types of cancer, such as gastric, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers.

Dietary guidelines universally advise adherence to plant-based diets. Plant-based foods confer considerable health benefits, partly attributable to their abundant micronutrient (e.g., polyphenol) content. Interest in polyphenols is largely focused on the contribution of their antioxidant activity to the prevention of various disorders, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Polyphenols are classified into groups, such as stilbenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans and others. Lignans, which possess a steroid-like chemical structure and are defined as phytoestrogens, are of particular interest to researchers. Traditionally, health benefits attributed to lignans have included a lowered risk of heart disease, menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis and breast cancer. However, the intake of naturally lignan-rich foods varies with the type of diet. Consequently, based on the latest humans’ findings and gathered information on lignan-rich foods collected from Phenol Explorer database this review focuses on the potential health benefits attributable to the consumption of different diets containing naturally lignan-rich foods. Current evidence highlight the bioactive properties of lignans as human health-promoting molecules. Thus, dietary intake of lignan-rich foods could be a useful way to bolster the prevention of chronic illness, such as certain types of cancers and cardiovascular disease.

Background Increased protein intake is suggested as a strategy to slow or reverse the loss of muscle mass and strength observed in sarcopenia, but results from studies that directly tested this possibility have been inconsistent. Objectives We assessed the evidence on the effects of whole protein supplementation or higher-protein diets, without the use of amino acids or supplements known to stimulate hypertrophy, alone or in combination with resistance exercise (RE) interventions, on lean body mass (LBM) and strength in older adults. Design A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, Medline, Web of Science and Cochrane CENTRAL databases from January 1990 up to July 2021. Randomized controlled trials that assessed the effects of protein supplementation and/or higher-protein dietary interventions in older adults (mean age ≥ 50 years), on total LBM, appendicular lean mass (ALM), handgrip (HG) and knee extension strength (KE) were included. Results 28 studies were identified. In pooled analysis, compared with lower protein controls, protein supplementation did not have a significant positive effect on total LBM [weighted mean difference in change (WMD):0.34, 95% CI: –0.21,0.89, I2:90.01%], ALM [WMD:0.4, 95% CI: –0.01,0.81, I2:90.38%], HG [WMD:0.69, 95% CI: –0.69,2.06, I2:94.52%] or KE [WMD:1.88, 95% CI: –0.6,4.35, I2:95.35%]. However, in interventions that used also RE, statistically significant positive effects of protein were observed for ALM [WMD:0.54, 95% CI:0.03,1.05, I2:89.76%] and HG [WMD:1.71, 95% CI:0.12,3.30, I2:88.71%]. Meta-regression revealed no significant association between age, per-meal protein dose, duration, and baseline protein intake with change in any outcome. Sub-group analysis revealed the statistically significant effects on ALM only occurred in sarcopenic/frail populations (WMD:0.88, 95% CI:0.51,1.25, I2:79.0%). Most studies (n = 22) had some risk of bias. Conclusions In older adults performing RE, increased protein intake leads to greater ALM and HG, compared with lower protein controls. Without RE, protein has no additional benefit on changes in total LBM, ALM or HG.

The present study aims to examine the effects of three different high-fat diet (HFD) on mice gut microbiota in order to analyse whether they create the microenvironmental conditions that either promote or prevent colorectal cancer (CRC). We evaluated colonic mucosa-associated microbiota in CD1 mice fed with HFD, based on 60% kcal from fat-containing coconut, sunflower or extra-virgin olive oil as the only source of fat. The main findings were as follows: (a) All HFD produced a decrease in the richness and diversity of the intestinal microbiota that was independent of mouse weight, (b) HFD switched Lactobacillus to Lactococcus. In general, the results showed that both sunflower- and coconut-HFD generated a pro-inflammatory intestinal microenvironment. In brief, coconut-HFD decreased Akkermansia and increased Staphylococcus, Prevotella and Bacteroides spp. abundance. Sunflower-HFD reduced Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium, while enhancing Sphingomonas and Neisseria spp. abundance. In contrast, EVOO-HFD produced an anti-inflammatory microenvironment characterised by a decreased Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Neisseria and Pseudomonas spp. abundance. At the same time, it increased the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and maintained the Akkermansia population. To conclude, EVOO-HFD produced changes in the gut microbiota that are associated with the prevention of CRC, while coconut and sunflower-HFD caused changes associated with an increased risk of CRC.