Background: Transitioning to university involves several changes, which might affect dietary habits. The present study aimed to assess the potential relationships involving adherence to the MedDiet, body composition, and metabolic markers within a Portuguese university sample. Methods: A cross-sectional study involved 70 participants, 52 women, and 18 men (23.00 ± 7.00 years old and a BMI of 21.99 ± 2.79 kg/m2). The average MedDiet adherence of participants was 9.23 points, as evaluated by the 14 point validated questionnaire, with classifications of low and high (under or over 9 points, respectively). Body composition was assessed using X-ray dual densitometry (DXA), and metabolic markers were collected from capillary blood. Results: Statistically significant differences in HDL cholesterol and the total/HDL cholesterol ratio were found between groups. Lower levels (p < 0.05) of visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), BMI, and waist circumference were found in the higher MedDiet adherence group. Those measures were negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with the adherence scores to the MedDiet. Conclusion: Higher adherence to MedDiet seemed to have a favorable and important impact on lipid profiles, primarily HDL-c. A positive relationship between MedDiet adherence and body composition distribution was also described, mostly due to the influence of higher adherence to MedDiet at lower levels of VAT and SAT in Portuguese university students.
Bioimpedance (BIA) is the most frequently used technology for body composition assessment at a daily clinical level, mostly due to its low price and user-friendly operation. However, many doubts persist regarding its physiological meaning and applicability. The present study aimed to compare one BIA system and the Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) for the characterization of body composition in a previously selected cohort of healthy adult participants. A descriptive observational cross-sectional study included a final sample of 121 participants, 93 women and 28 men, with a mean age of 28.26 ± 9.72 years old and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 22.68 ± 3.13 kg/m2. Statistics involved paired t-tests and agreement analysis by the Bland-Altman method. BIA underestimated the percent body fat (%BF) by 5.56% and overestimated Fat-Free Mass (FFM) by 2.90 kg. A strong positive correlation between both technologies was found for FFM (r = 0.980) and the %BF (r = 0.932), but the disagreement was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Although DXA and BIA seem to correlate, these technologies are not congruent. Therefore, the risk of (mis)interpretation and bias is clear with BIA, potentially impacting the nutritional planning of clinical dietitians and the further results of its patients.
Diet is commonly accepted as a determinant of body composition, especially when related to specific lifestyles. Vegetarian-vegan diets, which involve a reduction or elimination of animal product consumption, are believed to be more “healthy,” facilitating weight control and reducing the incidence and clinical course of different diseases, in particular those related to overweight and obesity. Global reviews and metanalysis on these issues, however, are still insufficient. Our preliminary approach addresses the total body composition differences among vegetarians-vegans and omnivorous individuals. This cross-sectional study involved ten healthy women, five vegetarian-vegan, and five omnivores (mean 28.10 years old). Body composition was assessed using a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA Lunar Prodigy Advance - General Electric Healthcare®). Other general and sociodemographic variables were also collected by trained dietitians. Our results have shown that the vegetarian-vegan group had a non-significantly lower volume of all types of body mass (total bone, fat, lean, tissue, and fat-free) evaluated. Additionally, the vegetarian-vegan group presented higher values of visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue (286.20 and 11138.40 cm3, respectively, p > 0.05) compared to the omnivore group. These differences will be further confirmed in subsequent studies.
Dietary patterns have been linked to differences in cardiovascular physiology, metabolic markers, and ahealthy skin condition.. However, published evidence on these issues is still insufficient and often controversial. This study aimed to identify differences in total body composition, biochemical markers, and skin physiology among omnivorous (OM) and vegetarian (VG) individuals. Participants (n=176, both sexes, mean age 31yo) included 115 OM and 61 VG. Body composition was assessed by absorptiometry (DXA Lunar-GE Healthcare®) and metabolic markers measured from capillary blood sampling (LINX DUO, Menarini). Skin physiology, regarded as an indicator of health, was assessed by transepidermal water loss (TEWL, Tewameter® CK electronics), hydration (Moisturemeter® DTec), and biomechanics (Cutometer® CK electronics) in five anatomical sites (forehead, cheek, neck, hand, and leg). No significant differences were observed between groups for any body composition variables although VG participants showed higher levels of Visceral (VAT) and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue (SAT). The OM group presented significantly higher levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and non-HDL cholesterol, and VAT was positively correlated (p<0.05) with all the biomarkers evaluated. Meanwhile, in the VG group (a) higher levels of fat mass were statistically correlated with higher levels of Hemoglobin A1c, LDL-cholesterol, and Non-HDL-cholesterol; (b) VAT was positively correlated with triglycerides/HDL ratio, Non-HDL-cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure; and (c) SAT was negatively correlated with HDL-cholesterol, and positively correlated with LDL-cholesterol and non-HDL-cholesterol. Prospective (10 year) cardiovascular risk calculations were considerably higher in OM participants compared to VG (2.17 vs. 1.06 points). Noteworthy, the VG participants were more active physically than the OM, and reported diets of lower energetic density, protein, saturated fat, and cholesterol, with higher contents of fiber and complex carbohydrates and sugars. VG participants have shown a higher TEWL, hydration, elasticity, and skin carotenoid content. Correlation analysis regarding VAT, SAT, and skin parameters showed a significant positive correlation between TEWL, hydration, and skin elasticity, and a negative correlation with skin retraction (after creep). These results suggest that some composition features, cardiovascular risk, and skin physiology differ between VG and OM individuals and might be related to their dietary patterns. This research is funded by Fundação Ciência Tecnologia (FCT) by grant UIDB/04567/2020. C.F.-P. and R.M. are supported by the Science Employment Stimulus program from FCT. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.
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