Changes in Dietary Intake and Adherence to the NU-AGE Diet Following a One-Year Dietary Intervention among European Older Adults—Results of the NU-AGE Randomized Trial

Abstract

Background: The Mediterranean Diet has been proposed as an effective strategy to reduce inflammaging, a chronic low grade inflammatory status, and thus, to slow down the aging process. We evaluated whether a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern specifically targeting dietary recommendations of people aged over 65 years (NU-AGE diet) could be effective to shift dietary intake of older adults towards a healthful diet. Methods: Adults aged 65–80 years across five EU-centers were randomly assigned to a NU-AGE diet group or control group. The diet group followed one year of NU-AGE dietary intervention specifying consumption of 15 food groups plus the use of a vitamin D supplement. Participants in the diet group received counselling and individually tailored dietary advice, food products and a vitamin D supplement. Dietary intake was assessed by means of seven-day food records at baseline and one-year follow-up. A continuous NU-AGE index (0–160 points) was developed to assess NU-AGE diet adherence. Results: In total 1296 participants were randomized and 1141 participants completed the intervention (571 intervention, 570 control). After one year, the diet group improved mean intake of 13 out of 16 NU-AGE dietary components (p < 0.05), with a significant increase in total NU-AGE index (difference in mean change = 21.3 ± 15.9 points, p < 0.01). Conclusions: The NU-AGE dietary intervention, based on dietary recommendations for older adults, consisting of individual dietary counselling, free healthy foods and a vitamin D supplement, may be a feasible strategy to improve dietary intake in an aging European population.

Mediterranean diet intervention alters the gut microbiome in older people reducing frailty and improving health status: the NU-AGE 1-year dietary intervention across five European countries

“…However, we observed that, across the study, increasing adherence to the diet was associated with an attenuated loss of microbiome diversity (table 1). For a finer detailed microbiota–diet association analysis, we used adherence scores to the MedDiet, previously calculated based on the NU-AGE Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) 35. These are recommendations that act as the basis for facilitating or measuring adherence to healthy eating initiatives or dietary interventions for improving public health.…”

“…These are recommendations that act as the basis for facilitating or measuring adherence to healthy eating initiatives or dietary interventions for improving public health. The NU-AGE FBDG covered 15 dietary goals including a vitamin D supplement that has been described in detail by Berendsen et al 35. We created Random Forest (RF) models to predict dietary adherence from microbiome profiles at both the baseline and final (1-year) time points.…”

Dietary Fibre May Mitigate Sarcopenia Risk: Findings from the NU-AGE Cohort of Older European Adults

“…Macronutrient intakes and the amount of dietary FI were retrieved and averaged per day. In addition, adherence to healthy dietary patterns was obtained using the NU-AGE Food Based Dietary score (Mediterranean-type diet) [35]. Participants having a protein intake above 1.1 g/kg of body weight were classified as meeting the recommended amount of protein intake for older people [36].…”

Prospects for microbiota-oriented therapy in neurorehabilitology

“…[11]. В частности, для изучения возможностей средиземноморской диеты влиять на возрастные изменения метаболизма, на состояние микробиоты и когнитивные особенности у пожилых пациентов проведено масштабное исследование «Проект NU-AGE», в которое было включено более 1000 человек [12]. Как известно, средиземноморская диета характеризуется оптимальным соотношением жирных кислот омега-6 и омега-3, полифенолов и других антиоксидантов, включает повышенное потребление пребиотической клетчатки и углеводов с низким гликемическим индексом, а также предпочтительное потребление растительных (вместо животных) белков.…”

“…Как известно, средиземноморская диета характеризуется оптимальным соотношением жирных кислот омега-6 и омега-3, полифенолов и других антиоксидантов, включает повышенное потребление пребиотической клетчатки и углеводов с низким гликемическим индексом, а также предпочтительное потребление растительных (вместо животных) белков. По результатам исследований, средиземноморская диета способствовала увеличению Bifidobacteria и общего количества короткоцепочечных жирных кислот, и расценена авторами как эффективная стратегия для уменьшения хронического воспаления и, следовательно, для замедления процесса старения [11,12].…”