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The newsletter of the University of Navarra and the IOC dedicated to health
The benefits of the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) have been exposed on many occasions and validated in many different populations. Certainly, this diet rich in olive oil, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes can also benefit children, as demonstrated in this study carried out in Spain. Researchers from the SENDO cohort investigated up to what point the MedDiet was associated with micronutrient adequacy in 4-5-year-old preschoolers, since malnutrition in children remains a major issue worldwide. Through a series of questionnaires, the diet quality of the children was assessed, as well as their adherence to the MedDiet. Results showed that participants who closely followed the MedDiet were less likely to have inadequate intakes of micronutrients in comparison to those who had a lower adherence. Given that nutrition plays a very important role during childhood, these findings deserve special attention from parents, medical services, and governments.
Pregnant women constitute another vulnerable group whose health deserves special attention. Researchers from the Creatine and Pregnancy Outcomes (CPO) study analyzed maternal plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) during pregnancy and its relationship with adherence to the MedDiet. CRP is a marker of systemic inflammation, which in turn is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this study, scientists analyzed dietary information and blood samples obtained from 215 healthy pregnant women, who maintained the same dietary habits throughout their pregnancy. Their results revealed that women who better followed the MedDiet had lower levels of CRP at the beginning of their pregnancy, suggesting that foods included in the MedDiet, which are rich in antioxidants and other bioactive compounds, could be exerting anti-inflammatory effects leading to lower levels of CRP. These findings could plausibly be extrapolated to non-pregnant population, as has been demonstrated in other studies, indicating that a big part of the population could benefit from the MedDiet.
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