Objective. To assess dietary-related habits among young adults. Design and Setting. Dietary habits were assessed cross-sectionally, using a self-completed questionnaire in 193 students enrolled in public and private universities in Cyprus. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was evaluated using the validated KIDMED index. BMI was estimated based on weight and height measurements. Results. The mean BMI was 23.31 (±3.98). The mean adherence score to the Mediterranean diet was 6.0 (IQR 4 to 8), with 26.9% of students being classified as high adherers and 21.8% as low adherers to the Mediterranean diet. About 32% of students consumed a second serving of fruit and vegetables more than once a day, whereas 26% reported going more than once a week to a fast-food restaurant and 31% consumed sweets and candy several times a day. On the other hand, 76% of participants reported consumption of at least two dairy products daily and 88% use olive oil at home. The majority consume coffee 2-3 times per day. Conclusions. Results support a shift from traditional healthy diets to more unhealthy eating patterns. However, we also report a high dairy intake and use of olive oil. Tailored-made strategies targeting the young adult population could be warranted.

The present study describes the development of a functional goats' milk yoghurt, using Pistacia atlantica resin extracts and Saccharomyces boulardii, in an attempt to combine the beneficial effects of the milk, extract and probiotic microorganisms. Results demonstrated that Pistacia extracts promoted the survival of lactic acid bacteria and NMR spectra additionally revealed that the functional fatty acids can be retained during the shelf life of yoghurts, alongside with the other bioactive compounds. The organoleptic assessment revealed that there were no significant differences in flavour, body, texture and appearance between the different yoghurts.

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Probiotic fermented milks and yoghurts are acidified and fermented by viable bacteria, usually L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus, resulting in a thicker product with a longer shelf life. They are a nutrition-dense food, providing a good source of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B2, and vitamin B12. Additionally, they deliver high biological value proteins and essential fatty acids. There is accumulating evidence suggesting that yoghurt and fermented milk consumption is related to a number of health advantages, including the prevention of osteoporosis, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as the promotion of gut health and immune system modulation. This review aims at presenting and critically reviewing the beneficial effects from the consumption of probiotic fermented milks in human health, whilst revealing potential applications in the food industry.

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BACKGROUND: Early time-restricted feeding (eTRF) is a new dietary strategy, involving extended fasting (≥14h) from mid- afternoon onwards with or without calorie restriction. Most of the published studies indicate controversial effects on several glycemic markers. AIM : To evaluate the effect of non-calorie restricted eTRF on the glycemic profile of adults. METHOD: this systematic review was designed according to PRISMA guidelines. Pubmed/ Medline, the Cochrane library and EBSCO electronic databases were systematically searched for eligible clinical trials. Studies with eTRF or with daily fasting regimens that presented all the characteristics of eTRF were selected and compared with regular diet schedules or delayed time-restricted feeding. Blood glucose and insulin markers were extracted from each study as the main outcome measures. RESULTS: Five articles including 67 adult subjects in total were selected. The period of intervention varied between 3 days to 5 weeks. Three of the included studies were diet- controlled for weight maintenance, whereas the other two studies allowed for free living. Quality assessment identified two studies of low and three studies of high risk of bias. two studies showed clear positive effects of eTRF on both glucose and insulin markers, including fasting glucose levels, muscle glucose intake, glucose iAUC responses insulin levels, and insulin resistance (p<0.05). Two other studies showed beneficial effects on glucose markers only (fasting glucose, 24h mean glucose levels, and iAUC responses, p<0.05) and the fifth study showed positive effects on insulin markers only (insulin resistance, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: eTRF seems to have positive effects on the glycemic profile mainly in healthy individuals with normal BMI. However, other factors should also be taken into account to address overweight, obese, and prediabetic individuals. Further research is required to clarify better the effectiveness of eTRF among individuals with different characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Intuitive eating is defined by eating response to physiological hunger and satiety cues rather than situational or emotional cues and it has been linked to psychological well-being. The 23-item Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2) is commonly used to assess the concept of intuitive eating. OBJECTIVE: To develop the Greek version of the IES-2 questionnaire and to test its psychometric qualities. METHODS: Forward and backward translations into Greek and English were completed. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was applied to understand the underlying factor structure of the IES-2, whilst internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha test. The concurrent validity was assessed by evaluating the correlation among the IES-2 and the Eating Attitudes Test-26 Item (EAT-26) questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 379 adults (mean age = 34 years) participated. EFA gave a three-factor structure with the total variance explained being 54.4% . Cronbach’s alpha was 0.87 for the IES-2 total score, as well as 0.90, 0.84 and 0.70 for the IES-2 subscales. The revised IES-2 total score was significantly correlated with EAT-26 total score (rs = –0.46, p <  0.01) and BMI (rs = –0.46, p <  0.01). CONCLUSION: In this sample, the Greek version of the IES-2 showed good psychometric qualities and can be regarded a helpful tool for examining adult intuitive eating behaviours.

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