Adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality and the incidence of CV events. However, most previous studies were performed in high-risk individuals. Our objective was to assess whether the adherence to the Mediterranean diet, evaluated by the MED score, was associated with all-cause and CV mortality and incidence of CV events in individuals at low CV risk from a population-based cohort, after a 12-year mean follow-up. A cohort of 1658 individuals completed a validated food-frequency questionnaire in 2001–2003. The MED score was calculated by a 0–9 scale. Anthropometric, laboratory measurements, and the vital status were collected at baseline and during 2014. The baseline CV risk was estimated by the Framingham risk score. Participants were divided into two groups: individuals at low risk (CV < 10) and individuals with CV risk ≥10. During a 12-year mean follow-up, 220 deaths, 84 due to CV diseases, and 125 incident CV events occurred. The adherence to the Mediterranean diet was low in 768 (score 0–2), medium in 685 (score 4–5) and high in 205 (score >6) individuals. Values of BMI, waist circumference, fasting glucose and insulin significantly decreased from low to high diet adherence only in participants with CV risk ≥10. In a Cox-regression model, the hazard ratios (HRs) in low-risk individuals per unit of MED score were: HR = 0.83 (95 % CI 0.72–0.96) for all-cause mortality, HR = 0.75 (95 % CI 0.58–0.96) for CV mortality, and HR = 0.79 (95 % CI 0.65–0.97) for CV events, after multiple adjustments. In individuals with CV risk ≥10, the MED score predicted incident CV events (HR = 0.85; 95 % CI 0.72–0.99), while the associations with all-cause (HR = 1.02; 95 % CI 0.90–1.15) and CV mortality (0.94; 95 % CI 0.76–1.15) were not significant. Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with reduced fatal and non fatal CV events, especially in individuals at low CV risk, thus suggesting the usefulness of promoting this nutritional pattern in particular in healthier individuals.

Mercury (Hg) is a pervasive environmental contaminant with high bioavailability and toxicity, accumulating in aquatic food chains and posing significant risks to human health through seafood consumption. This systematic review aims to collect evidence on Hg bioaccumulation in seafood across Europe, assessing species that exceed legal limits. A total of 74 studies were identified on bioaccumulation among marine fish and seafood from European and adjacent seas, published between 2000 and 2024. Findings highlight that methylmercury (MeHg) constitutes the majority of total Hg in fish species, with concentrations often exceeding EU regulatory limits, especially in the Adriatic and Iberian areas. In general, teleosts exhibit higher tissue concentrations of both MeHg and total Hg compared to either selachians or mollusks. Species likely to exceed their legal limits are larger, apex predators, e.g., tuna, swordfish, and sharks, as well as benthic species, e.g., monkfish and mullet. In recent years, there has been a decrease in mercury contamination, probably due to agreed international regulations. However, significant regional variations still persist in Europe. To mitigate Hg contamination in seafood and ensure food safety, this study highlights the need for ongoing monitoring and management strategies, the interplay of environmental factors, food web dynamics, and species-specific biological characteristics.

Different alcoholic beverages can have different effects on blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and neurotoxicity, even when equalized for alcohol content by volume. Anecdotal evidence suggested that natural wine is metabolized differently from conventional wines. This triple-blind study compared the BAC of 55 healthy male subjects after consuming the equivalent of 2 units of alcohol of a natural or conventional wine over 3 min in two separate sessions, one week apart. BAC was measured using a professional breathalyzer every 20 min after consumption for 2 h. The BAC curves in response to the two wines diverged significantly at twenty minutes (interval T20) and forty minutes (interval T40), and also at their maximum concentrations (peaks), with the natural wine inducing a lower BAC than the conventional wine [T20 = 0.40 versus 0.46 (p < 0.0002); T40 = 0.49 versus 0.53 (p < 0.0015); peak = 0.52 versus 0.56 (p < 0.0002)]. These differences are likely related to the development of different amino acids and antioxidants in the two wines during their production. This may in turn affect the kinetics of alcohol absorption and metabolism. Other contributing factors could include pesticide residues, differences in dry extract content, and the use of indigenous or selected yeasts. The study shows that with the same quantity and conditions of intake, natural wine has lower pharmacokinetic and metabolic effects than conventional wine, which can be assumed due to the different agronomic and oenological practices with which they are produced. It can therefore be hypothesized that the consumption of natural wine may have a different impact on human health from that of conventional wine.