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The Role of Western Diet and Lifestyles on Inflammatory Diseases: Emerging Strategies from Prevention to Treatment

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2023) | Viewed by 10677

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF), Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal
Interests: nutrition; diet; inflammatory; tumorigenesis; health; anti-inflammatory dietary models; epigenetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Western diet (WD) has been found to have a negative impact on health through innumerable mechanisms, mainly related to: (a) immune system activation via macrophage proliferation, cytokine cascade and inflammasome activation; (b) gene crosstalk with nutrients and bioactive molecules from the diet, and epigenetic modulation; (c) body composition changes conducive of adipogenesis, and exacerbation of inflammatory status and metabolic/adipocyte dysregulation; and (d) gut (or other) microbiota/metabolite modifications. Altogether, this setting favours low-grade systemic inflammation, driving metabolic changes and immune system deregulation, leading to disease. WD is, therefore, linked to an increased prevalence of metabolic disorders, such as obesity, adipose hypertrophy, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, insulin resistance/diabetes, neuroinflammation, brain dysfunction and cognitive impairment, allergies, and chronic joint diseases, among others. The aim of this Special Issue is to gather the latest research on this topic, including original research papers, narrative and systematic reviews, and meta-analyses that comprehensively shed light on the mechanisms by which WD increases the prevalence of these conditions. Additionally, manuscripts should entail potential approaches suggested to tackle these diseases, delay onset/progression, and mitigate symptoms in relation to: (1) intake modulation (precision nutrition, fasting, plant-based dietary approaches); (2) gene–diet interactions; (3) alteration/restoration of the gut microbiota (e.g., pre/probiotics/synbiotics); and (4) dietary-related metabolites impacting immune regulation, glucose, lipid and aminoacidic homeostasis (e.g., micronutrient bioavailability).

Dr. Marta Correia
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • inflammation
  • anti-inflammatory dietary models
  • Mediterranean diet
  • plant-based foods
  • microbiota
  • fasting
  • synbiotics
  • bioactives
  • epigenetics
  • polyunsaturated fatty acids
  • gene–diet interactions
  • precision nutrition
  • intestinal permeability
  • micronutrient deficiencies
  • white and brown fat mass
  • body composition

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 618 KiB  
Article
The Metabolic and Analytical Changes of Healthy Volunteers upon Intake of Portuguese Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A Comparison Study between Pre- and Post-Intervention
by Marta Correia, Inês Moreira, Jane El Maghariki, Tânia Manuel, Paulo Alves, Rui Barros and Ana Gomes
Nutrients 2023, 15(15), 3351; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15153351 - 28 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1712
Abstract
(1) Background: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is studied mostly for its health benefits in preventing non-communicable chronic diseases, particularly within a Mediterranean dietary pattern. However, few studies have addressed the effect of EVOO in healthy individuals, prior to an established disease. This [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is studied mostly for its health benefits in preventing non-communicable chronic diseases, particularly within a Mediterranean dietary pattern. However, few studies have addressed the effect of EVOO in healthy individuals, prior to an established disease. This study aims to evaluate the impact of Northern Portuguese polyphenol-rich EVOO (NPPR-EVOO) consumption on various important clinical parameters in healthy adult volunteers. (2) Methods: This quasi-experimental intervention study assessed the impact of NPPR-EVOO for a period of 100 days. Serum total cholesterol, HbA1c, HDL-c, LDL-c, and CRP, and anthropometric measures—waist and hip perimeters, hand grip strength, and body fat—were assessed and food logs were analyzed. (3) Results: Serum HbA1c (5.12 ± 0.32%; 4.93 ± 0.24, p = 0.000) and LDL-c (96.50 ± 28.57 mg/dL; 87.41 ± 31.38 mg/dL, p = 0.017) significantly decreased following NPPR-EVOO. Also, daily energy significantly increased, but no changes in other dietary parameters, or anthropometry, were seen. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet did not explain the differences found in individuals regarding serum lipid profile and HbA1c, reinforcing the role of EVOO’s effect. (4) Conclusions: NPPR-EVOO lowered the serum levels of LDL cholesterol and HbA1c, providing clues on the effect of EVOO-putative health benefits. These results pave the way for a deeper exploration of EVOO as a functional food. Full article
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Review

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44 pages, 712 KiB  
Review
Is There More to Olive Oil than Healthy Lipids?
by Akritas Isaakidis, Jane El Maghariki, Sérgio Carvalho-Barros, Ana Maria Gomes and Marta Correia
Nutrients 2023, 15(16), 3625; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15163625 - 18 Aug 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3996
Abstract
The Mediterranean diet is a healthy dietary pattern whose main characteristic is olive oil consumption. The potential health benefits of olive oil have been extensively investigated and the present review provides the more recent clinical evidence supporting the positive impact of olive oil [...] Read more.
The Mediterranean diet is a healthy dietary pattern whose main characteristic is olive oil consumption. The potential health benefits of olive oil have been extensively investigated and the present review provides the more recent clinical evidence supporting the positive impact of olive oil intake on human health. PubMed (n = 227) and Scopus (n = 308) databases were searched for published clinical studies in English over the past six years (October 2016 to December 2022), following key word searches of “olive oil” and “health”. Major findings associated olive oil with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, improvement in endothelial function and lipid profile, prevention of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and modulation of the gut microbiota. These benefits are attributed to the nutritional composition of olive oil, which has a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (oleic acid in particular) and minor compounds such as polyphenols (oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol). Although additional research continues to be required, the more recently generated evidence supports the potential of olive oil to contribute beneficially to health and to the prevention and management of a variety of non-communicable diseases, as a consequence of the synergism between its components’ complexity. Full article
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18 pages, 2211 KiB  
Review
Carotenoids Diet: Digestion, Gut Microbiota Modulation, and Inflammatory Diseases
by Helena R. Rocha, Marta C. Coelho, Ana M. Gomes and Manuela E. Pintado
Nutrients 2023, 15(10), 2265; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15102265 - 10 May 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4516
Abstract
Several epidemiologic studies have found that consuming fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of getting a variety of chronic illnesses, including several types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and bowel diseases. Although there is still debate over the bioactive components, various secondary plant [...] Read more.
Several epidemiologic studies have found that consuming fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of getting a variety of chronic illnesses, including several types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and bowel diseases. Although there is still debate over the bioactive components, various secondary plant metabolites have been linked to these positive health benefits. Many of these features have recently been connected to carotenoids and their metabolites’ effects on intracellular signalling cascades, which influence gene expression and protein translation. Carotenoids are the most prevalent lipid-soluble phytochemicals in the human diet, are found in micromolar amounts in human serum, and are very susceptible to multiple oxidation and isomerisation reactions. The gastrointestinal delivery system, digestion processes, stability, and functionality of carotenoids, as well as their impact on the gut microbiota and how carotenoids may be effective modulators of oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways, are still lacking research advances. Although several pathways involved in carotenoids’ bioactivity have been identified, future studies should focus on the carotenoids’ relationships, related metabolites, and their effects on transcription factors and metabolism. Full article
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