Papagianni, O;
Bountziouka, V;
Maniati, E;
Pegkos, A;
Dimou, C;
Karantonis, HC;
Koutelidakis, AE;
(2024)
The frequency of consumption of selective foods with functionality is related to improved anthropometric obesity indices: A cross-sectional study in Greek and Cypriots adults.
Functional Food Science
, 4
(4)
pp. 134-152.
10.31989/ffs.v4i4.1274.
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Abstract
Background: Obesity persists as a significant public health concern. Recent novel strategies advocate for the incorporation of specific foods to better manage adiposity markers and prevent obesity. Numerous epidemiological and clinical studies highlight the potential benefits of including natural functional foods from the Mediterranean Diet, as well as processed foods enhanced with bioactive compounds. Methods: A validated Functional Food Frequency of Consumption (FFFQ) was administered in 319 Greeks and Cypriots volunteers, aged 18-75. Anthropometric and body composition measures were recorded through established protocols. Linear regression models were used to examine the association between frequency intake of foods and adiposity markers. Objective: This study was designed to investigate the potential relationship between the frequency of selective foods and obesity markers, among Greek and Cypriot adults. Results: In this study, 33 natural (i.e., fruits, vegetables, pulses, starchy food items, herbs and spices, beverages, other) and processed (i.e., starchy food items, dairy, fats and oils) functional foods were considered. Most of the foods are consumed weekly/monthly, whilst participants report daily consumption of olive oil (57%) and coffee (61%). Monthly intake of whole wheat cereals, herbs (thyme/ oregano/ basil), and nuts were associated with greater BMI, at the Bonferroni correction level (p=0.0004). However, results from multiple regression models adjusted for sex, age group, educational level, smoking status, physical activity status, and water intake revealed that only monthly nut intake, compared to daily intake, was associated with greater BMI (2.9 (1.5; 4.4) kg/m2). Conclusion: The results suggest that the infrequent intake of nuts on Greek and Cypriot participants, is a strong determinant of BMI, and the rare consumption of whole wheat cereals and herbs (thyme/oregano/basil) may weakly affect BMI. Further research is required to safely conclude to these claims, and the implementation of nutritional education programs on functional foods may prove effective in the prevention and management of obesity.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | The frequency of consumption of selective foods with functionality is related to improved anthropometric obesity indices: A cross-sectional study in Greek and Cypriots adults |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.31989/ffs.v4i4.1274 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.31989/ffs.v4i4.1274 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Any manuscripts or substantial parts of it, submitted to the journal must not be under consideration by or previously published in any other journal or citable form. Authors are required to ensure that no material submitted as part of a manuscript infringes existing copyrights or the rights of a third party. In submitting one's article in any form, the author has assigned the FFC publishing rights and has agreed to an automatic transfer of the copyright to the publisher. This is so that the FFC may create print option journals, for example, at the FFC’s discretion. If the author wishes to distribute their works by means outside of the FFC, for example within their community, they will have to place a request. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Keywords: | Epidemiological study; foods; frequency of consumption; obesity; adiposity markers |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10202972 |
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