There are many elements that come into play when thinking about nutrition. Fundamental they are the variety of foodsthe respect ofcaloric intake which must be compensated for with regular physical activity, the choice of nutrients and also meal times, as well as a correct caloric distribution that favors breakfast and lunch, and then allows for a light dinner. All these elements in the context of a healthy Mediterranean foodrepresent variables to consider.
Now for those who want to have some simple self-assessment criteria, a sort of online “questionnaire” is available which, based on the answers, not only tells how much one is in line with the dictates of the Mediterranean diet (rich in vegetables, legumes, wholemeal and extra-virgin olive oil) but also how much is the risk of going towards the classic “belly” which represents one of the most fearsome factors for metabolic well-being. Obviously, for those who submit to the questionnaire, it is also possible to obtain targeted advice on what to do to reduce their cardiovascular risk, as reported Ansa.
A new score defines the risk
The basis of this scientifically tested self-assessment is research that appeared on Nutrients conducted by scholars coordinated by Antonio Moschetta, full professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Bari, as part of the studies financed by the PNRR project “On-foods”.
The risk score does not only consider the foods that are introduced but also when they are consumed, any alcohol intake, the hours in which the caloric intake is greatest. These factors, in addition of course to the power supply, count in terms of development abdominal adiposity (the classic bacon) which modifies not only the metabolic profile but also the risk for the heart and arteries and the possibility of developing tumors. Abdominal obesity, in short, is a real “enemy” of well-being.
As experts point out, the result goes from minus 13 to 25 points: the lower the score, the lower the adherence to the Mediterranean diet, the higher the risk of abdominal adiposity. “We have predicted different scores based on the quantities in which we consume fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, pasta, butter, cereals, carbohydrates, alcohol but also questions relating to the time of day in which we consume them and the frequency with which we exercise – reports the expert toAnsa. We cannot think that the same meal has the same effects on two people who have different energy consumption or that the same amount of pasta is metabolised and ‘stored’ in the same way at two different times of the day. In fact, bad eating habits have repercussions on the accumulation of visceral adipose tissue and it is precisely this fat that is responsible for sending hormonal messages to the whole body and causing those alterations responsible for cardiovascular disease“.
The study was conducted for about three years among the patients of the “C. Frugoni” of the Bari Polyclinic and included over 350 subjects with an average age of 50 years. The first author of the study is Carlo De Matteis, who points out how “nutrition must increasingly be at the center of medical therapy, as the first barrier against disease and as a tool for better living”.
Mealtime is important
It’s not just what you eat that counts. But it is also important how much you eat, of course. And it must also be included in the final balance sheet the “timing” and respect for chronobiologywhich makes food intake optimal at certain times of the day, obviously as part of a nutritionally and energetically correct path.
The circadian rhythm also helps us keep weight in check. Do you think that according to research, those with an evening chronotype, therefore the classic night owl who has a very demanding dinner and perhaps late, would have a greater risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes compared to early risers. The reason: there is a risk of tending to have less healthy nutritional patterns that do not respect the three dimensions of eating behavior – timing, frequency and regularity – and therefore the biological and metabolic rhythms of our body.
The analysis, which appeared some time ago on Advances in Nutrition, conducted an international review of previous chronotype research to understand the relationship between chronotype, chrononutrition, and overall cardiometabolic health. What emerges? The habit of going to sleep late typical of the evening chronotype is not secondary to his bad eating habits, on the contrary, it is really going to sleep late or eating at night that misaligns the metabolic balance dictated by circadian rhythms. Our biological clocks synchronize the metabolic systems to make them efficient and functional during the day to let us rest at night.
The study, in fact, identified that people who go to bed later tend to follow a less healthy diet than early risers, consuming more energy drinks, sugary and caffeine and obtaining a greater share of energy from fat. Not only that, they consistently follow more irregular eating patterns, such as skipping breakfast and eating later in the day. The expert team also noted that people with evening chronotype they tend to eat fewer cereals, vegetables and fruit and eat fewer but more abundant meals during the day. All behaviors linked to increased blood pressure, glucose metabolism and lipid management, which, in turn, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.