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.

We recently developed and validated a questionnaire to measure adherence to the Mediterranean diet, called Medi-Lite. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of the Medi-Lite adherence score in relation to obesity status. A total of 208 patients who attended the Clinical Nutrition Unit of Careggi University Hospital, Florence, were included in this retrospective analysis. Of them, 126 (45%) had abdominal obesity (110 F; 16 M). The mean adherence score, calculated through the Medi-Lite questionnaire, was 9.5 ± 2.2, with significantly (p < 0.001) lower values in patients with abdominal obesity (8.9 ± 1.9) than those without abdominal obesity (10 ± 2.2). Logistic regression analysis adjusted for age and sex showed that the Medi-Lite score determined significant protection (−28%) against the risk of abdominal obesity for every one-unit increase in the total score (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.63–0.82; p < 0.001). Looking for cut-off values that denote increased risk of having abdominal obesity, we observed that patients who scored ≤9 had a significantly increased risk (OR 3.21, 95% CI 1.91–5.39; p < 0.001). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet assessed through the Medi-Lite score was found to be associated with abdominal obesity. In particular, patients who reported a score of ≤9 had a 3.5-fold times higher risk of having abdominal obesity than those who scored >9.

Evidence on the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in adults with celiac disease (CD) and its impact on Mediterranean Diet (MD) adherence is still limited. Our aim was to determine UPF consumption and its relationship with MD adherence in a group of adults, according to the presence of CD. This case-control study included 103 adults with CD and 312 without CD. UPF intake was assessed using the NOVA Food Frequency Questionnaire (NFFQ), while MD adherence was assessed using the Medi-Lite score. UPF represented 14.5% of the diet of participants with CD (246 g/day) and came mainly from cereals-based products (29%) and sweets (24.2%). UPF consumption did not differ with the presence of CD, but participants with CD had significantly (p < 0.05) higher consumption of precooked pasta and pre-packaged breads. Participants with CD also reported a significantly lower MD adherence than participants without CD (9.4 vs. 10.4), with higher intake of meat and dairy products, and lower consumption of vegetables and fish. An inverse trend was found between UPF consumption and MD adherence in adults with CD, although not statistically significant. These findings highlight the importance of improving nutrition education for subjects with CD, which should not only focus on gluten exclusion.

Background: Obesity and its associated health complications have become a global public health concern, necessitating innovative approaches to weight management. One emerging area of research focuses on the influence of chronotype, an individual’s preferred timing for daily activities, on eating habits, weight regulation, and metabolic health. Recent observational studies suggest that the misalignment between an individual’s chronotype and external cues, such as meal timing, may contribute to metabolic dysregulation and obesity, but evidence from intervention studies is still limited. This study protocol describes a randomized controlled trial designed to explore the effects of a chronotype-adapted diet, compared with a diet with a conventional calorie distribution, on weight loss, cardiometabolic health, and gut microbiota composition. Methods: A total of 150 overweight/obese adults will be recruited for this 4-month parallel-group, randomized, two-arm, open-label, superiority trial with 1:1 allocation ratio. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. The intervention group will receive a low-calorie chronotype-adapted diet with a calorie distribution adapted to the individual chronotype (morning or evening), optimizing meal timing according to their peak metabolic periods. The control group will follow a standardized low-calorie healthy eating plan without considering chronotype. Both diets will have equivalent daily calorie content, adjusted according to gender and starting weight. Anthropometric measurements, body composition, blood, and fecal samples will be obtained from each participant at the beginning and the end of the study. The primary outcome is weight change from baseline. Secondary outcomes are changes from baseline in body mass index (BMI), fat mass, lipid and glycemic profile, fecal microbiota profile, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Discussion: The results of this randomized controlled trial have the potential to advance our understanding of the complex interactions between chronotype, diet, body weight, and health outcomes. By providing evidence for personalized dietary interventions based on individuals’ circadian preferences, this research could offer insights into personalized nutrition strategies. Such knowledge could guide the development of innovative dietary interventions to optimize the prevention and management of overweight and obesity, while also improving the risk profile of these individuals. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05941871. Registered on 18 May 2023.

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relation between sleep quantity (TST), efficiency (SE) and regularity (SRI) and cardiometabolic parameters and eating habits. Methods: Seventy clinically healthy adults (74% females; mean age 28.3 ± 10.1 years) were recruited at the Clinical Nutrition Unit of Careggi University Hospital, Florence, between October 2023 and December 2024. Sleep was monitored for 7 days using a Fitbit Alta HR actigraphy. Cardiometabolic health was assessed via bioimpedance and blood samples. Dietary habits were evaluated through 3-day food diaries and the Medi-Lite questionnaire. Results: Participants had an average TST of 7.4 ± 1.1 h, SE of 84.9 ± 6.9%, and SRI of 62.2 ± 19.9. Lower SRI (≤41, 1st quintile) was associated with higher fat mass (19.9 ± 6.7 vs. 15.2 ± 6.6%), higher total cholesterol (183.9 ± 20.9 vs. 155.0 ± 26.8 mg/dL), and lower folate (3.6 ± 1.6 vs. 5.6 ± 2.5 ng/mL) compared to higher SRI (≥80, 5th quintile). Sleeping <7 h/night was linked to higher BMI (22.6 ± 2.1 vs. 21.5 ± 2.0 kg/m²) and homocysteine (11.4 ± 2.3 vs. 10.4 ± 3.3 μmol/L). Weak but significant inverse correlations emerged between TST and BMI (R = −0.26, p = 0.02) and between SRI and cholesterol (R = −0.28, p = 0.01), but these associations disappeared in the multivariable linear regression adjusted model. Conclusions: These findings underscore the role of sleep duration and regularity in shaping body composition and cardiometabolic health, supporting its relevance as a modifiable public health priority.