RESUMEN
Physiological changes in elderly individuals (EI) can contribute to nutritional deterioration and comorbidities that reduce their quality of life. Factors such as diet can modulate some of these effects. The aim was to evaluate the functionality of foods added with Brosimum alicastrum Sw. seed flour in EI. EI (n = 23) living in nursing home conditions agreed to participate. A control stage was carried out (30 days) and subsequently, an intervention stage (30 days) was realized in which a muffin and a beverage, designed for EI, were added to the participants' their usual diet. In both stages, anthropometric parameters, body composition, nutritional status, dietary intake, sarcopenic status, cognitive and affective states, biometric parameters, and total phenolic compounds (TPC), and antioxidant capacity in foods and plasma of EI were determined. The results showed that the consumption of the foods improved the energy intake and preserved the muscle reserves of the EI. The EI gained body weight (+1.1 kg), increased their protein (+18.6 g/day; 1.5 g/kg BW/day), dietary fiber (+13.4 g/day), iron (+4.4 mg/day), zinc (+1.8 mg/day), folic acid (+83.4 µg/day) consumption while reducing their cholesterol (-66 mg/day) and sodium (-319.5 mg/day) consumption. LDL-C lipoproteins reduced (14.8%) and urea (33.1%) and BUN (33.3%) increased. The TPC increased (7.8%) in the plasma, particularly in women (10.7%). The foods improve the EI nutritional status, and this has a cardiovascular protective effect that can benefit the health of the EI.
RESUMEN
RESUMEN Este estudio evaluó la actitud de los universitarios murcianos hacia los nuevos alimentos y su relación con la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea, el riesgo de alteraciones de la conducta alimentaria y su asociación con la masa corporal. Participaron estudiantes de la Universidad de Murcia a los cuales se realizaron mediciones antropométricas, peso y talla, para estimar el índice de masa corporal y se estableció su condición nutricional, y se aplicaron las encuestas para identificación de trastornos de conducta alimentaria y neofobia alimentaria. Participaron un total de 300 universitarios con un promedio de edad de 21.3 años. Sólo el 14% de las mujeres y 35% de los hombres presentaron exceso de peso. Un 44% presentan buena adherencia a la dieta mediterránea. La Neofobia fue ligeramente mayor en mujeres que en hombres. Entre los resultados se identificó que existen más conductas de trastornos de conducta alimentaria (15.5%) que neofobia (11.5%), impactando negativamente a la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea. Los universitarios de la Región de Murcia, presentan una puntuación en trastorno de la conducta alimentaria inferior a la reportada por otros autores, no existiendo diferencias significativas entre esta y el sexo, la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea o el IMC.
ABSTRACT The study was designed to evaluate the attitude of Spanish undergraduates towards new foods and its impact on adherence to the Mediterranean diet, risk of altered eating behavior and its association with body mass. Undergraduates of the University of Murcia were invited to participate. Anthropometry (weight and height) was measured to estimate body mass and nutritional status and surveys were administered to identify eating disorders and food neophobia. A total of 300 undergraduates participated, with a mean age of 21.3 years. Only 14% of the women and 35% of the men were overweight; 44% had good adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Neophobia is slightly higher in females than males. We observed more eating disorder behaviors (15.5%) compared to food neophobia (11.5%) and that both negatively impacted the adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Undergraduates from the Murcia Region, reported an eating disorder values lower than that reported by other authors. No significant differences were found between this and sex, adherence to the Mediterranean diet or BMI.