Numerous studies have demonstrated a relationship between adherence to Mediterranean diet and prevention of chronic degenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to validate a novel instrument to measure adherence to Mediterranean diet based on the literature (the MEDI-LITE score). Two-hundred-and-four clinically healthy subjects completed both the MEDI-LITE score and the validated MedDietScore (MDS). Significant positive correlation between the MEDI-LITE and the MDS scores was found in the study population (R = .70; p < .0001). Furthermore, statistically significant positive correlations were found for all the nine different food groups. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, MEDI-LITE evidenced a significant discriminative capacity between adherents and non-adherents to the Mediterranean diet pattern (optimal cut-off point = 8.50; sensitivity = 96%; specificity = 38%). In conclusion, our findings show that the MEDI-LITE score well correlate with MDS in both global score and in most of the items related to the specific food categories.

The prevalence of overweight, obesity, and their related complications is increasing worldwide. The purpose of this umbrella review was to summarize and critically evaluate the effects of different diets on anthropometric parameters and cardiometabolic risk factors. Medline, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Web of Science, from inception to April 2019, were used as data sources to select meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials that examined the effects of different diets on anthropometric parameters and cardiometabolic risk factors. Strength and validity of the evidence were assessed through a set of predefined criteria. Eighty articles reporting 495 unique meta-analyses were examined, covering a wide range of popular diets: low-carbohydrate (n = 21 articles), high-protein (n = 8), low-fat (n = 9), paleolithic (n = 2), low-glycemic-index/load (n = 12), intermittent energy restriction (n = 6), Mediterranean (n = 11), Nordic (n = 2), vegetarian (n = 9), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) (n = 6), and portfolio dietary pattern (n = 1). Great variability in terms of definition of the intervention and control diets was observed. The methodological quality of most articles (n = 65; 81%), evaluated using the "A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews-2" questionnaire, was low or critically low. The strength of evidence was generally weak. The most consistent evidence was reported for the Mediterranean diet, with suggestive evidence of an improvement in weight, BMI, total cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure. Suggestive evidence of an improvement in weight and blood pressure was also reported for the DASH diet. Low-carbohydrate, high-protein, low-fat, and low-glycemic-index/load diets showed suggestive and/or weak evidence of a reduction in weight and BMI, but contrasting evidence for lipid, glycemic, and blood pressure parameters, suggesting potential risks of unfavorable effects. Evidence for paleolithic, intermittent energy restriction, Nordic, vegetarian, and portfolio dietary patterns was graded as weak. Among all the diets evaluated, the Mediterranean diet had the strongest and most consistent evidence of a beneficial effect on both anthropometric parameters and cardiometabolic risk factors. This review protocol was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/ as CRD42019126103.

Chronotype is a behavioral manifestation of the internal circadian clock system. It refers to the specific activity-rest preference of an individual over a 24-h period and can be assessed using different methodologies that classify individuals into morning or evening chronotype. In recent years, several studies have suggested a relation between individual chronotype, eating habits, and the risk of developing obesity and other conditions. Our aim was to evaluate the association between chronotype, energy intake, and health status through a meta-analytic approach. A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database was conducted. Observational studies that reported a measure of association between chronotype, energy intake, and health indicators were considered eligible. Overall, 39 observational studies (37 cross-sectional studies, 2 prospective cohort studies) were included in the systematic review, with a total of 377,797 subjects. By comparing morning and evening subjects, pooled analyses of cross-sectional studies showed significantly (P < 0.001) higher concentrations of blood glucose [mean difference (MD): 7.82; 95% CI: 3.18, 12.45], glycated hemoglobin (MD: 7.64; 95% CI: 3.08, 12.21), LDL cholesterol (MD: 13.69; 95% CI: 6.84, 20.54), and triglycerides (MD: 12.62; 95% CI: 0.90, 24.35) in evening subjects. Furthermore, an association between evening type and the risk of diabetes (OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.41), cancer (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.30), and depression (OR: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.20, 2.88) was reported. Regarding the other outcomes examined, no significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of energy intake, anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, insulin, total and HDL cholesterol, and hypertension risk. In conclusion, evening chronotype was associated with a worse cardiometabolic risk profile and higher risk of diabetes, cancer, and depression. Further studies are needed to confirm these results and to better elucidate the interplay between chronotype, nutrition, and health status.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a multifactorial syndrome of unknown etiology, characterized by widespread chronic pain and various somatic and psychological manifestations. The management of FM requires a multidisciplinary approach combining both pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies. Among nonpharmacological strategies, growing evidence suggests a potential beneficial role for nutrition. This review summarizes the possible relationship between FM and nutrition, exploring the available evidence on the effect of dietary supplements and dietary interventions in these patients. Analysis of the literature has shown that the role of dietary supplements remains controversial, although clinical trials with vitamin D, magnesium, iron and probiotics’ supplementation show promising results. With regard to dietary interventions, the administration of olive oil, the replacement diet with ancient grains, low-calorie diets, the low FODMAPs diet, the gluten-free diet, the monosodium glutamate and aspartame-free diet, vegetarian diets as well as the Mediterranean diet all appear to be effective in reducing the FM symptoms. These results may suggest that weight loss, together with the psychosomatic component of the disease, should be taken into account. Therefore, although dietary aspects appear to be a promising complementary approach to the treatment of FM, further research is needed to provide the most effective strategies for the management of FM.