Mushroom cell walls are rich in β-glucans, long or short-chain polymers of glucose subunits with β-1,3 and β-1,6 linkages, that are responsible for the linear and branching structures, respectively. β-glucans from cereals, at variance, have no 1,6 linkages nor branching structures. Both immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of mushrooms have been described using purified β-glucans or fungi extracts on cellular and experimental models; their potential clinical use has been tested in different conditions, such as recurrent infections of the respiratory tract or complications of major surgery. Another promising application of β-glucans is on cancer, as adjuvant of conventional chemotherapy. β-glucans may protect the cardiovascular system, ameliorating glucose, lipid metabolism, and blood pressure: these activities, observed for oat and barley β-glucans, require confirmation in human studies with mushroom β-glucans. On the other hand, mushrooms may also protect the cardiovascular system via a number of other components, such as bioactive phenolic compounds, vitamins, and mineral elements. The growing knowledge on the mechanism(s) and health benefits of mushrooms is encouraging the development of a potential clinical use of β-glucans, and also to further document their role in preserving health and prevent disease in the context of healthy lifestyles.

Biological aging, or the discrepancy between biological and chronological age of a subject (Δage), has been associated with a polyphenol-rich Mediterranean diet and represents a new, robust indicator of cardiovascular disease risk. We aimed to disentangle the relationship of dietary polyphenols and total antioxidant capacity with Δage in a cohort of Italians. A cross-sectional analysis was performed on a sub-cohort of 4592 subjects (aged ≥ 35 y; 51.8% women) from the Moli-sani Study (2005–2010). Food intake was recorded by a 188-item food-frequency questionnaire. The polyphenol antioxidant content (PAC)-score was constructed to assess the total dietary content of polyphenols. Total antioxidant capacity was measured in foods by these assays: trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) and ferric reducing-antioxidant power (FRAP). A deep neural network, based on 36 circulating biomarkers, was used to compute biological age and the resulting Δage, which was tested as outcome in multivariable-adjusted linear regressions. Δage was inversely associated with the PAC-score (β = −0.31; 95%CI −0.39, −0.24) but not with total antioxidant capacity of the diet. A diet rich in polyphenols, by positively contributing to deceleration of the biological aging process, may exert beneficial effects on the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease and possibly of bone health.

Chronological age (CA) may not accurately reflect the health status of an individual. Rather, biological age (BA) or hypothetical underlying “functional” age has been proposed as a relevant indicator of healthy aging. Observational studies have found that decelerated biological aging or Δage (BA-CA) is associated with a lower risk of disease and mortality. In general, CA is associated with low-grade inflammation, a condition linked to the risk of the incidence of disease and overall cause-specific mortality, and is modulated by diet. To address the hypothesis that diet-related inflammation is associated with Δage, a cross-sectional analysis of data from a sub-cohort from the Moli-sani Study (2005–2010, Italy) was performed. The inflammatory potential of the diet was measured using the Energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII^TM) and a novel literature-based dietary inflammation score (DIS). A deep neural network approach based on circulating biomarkers was used to compute BA, and the resulting Δage was fit as the dependent variable. In 4510 participants (men 52.0%), the mean of CA (SD) was 55.6 y (±11.6), BA 54.8 y (±8.6), and Δage −0.77 (±7.7). In a multivariable-adjusted analysis, an increase in E-DII^TM and DIS scores led to an increase in Δage (β = 0.22; 95%CI 0.05, 0.38; β = 0.27; 95%CI 0.10, 0.44, respectively). We found interaction for DIS by sex and for E-DII^TM by BMI. In conclusion, a pro-inflammatory diet is associated with accelerated biological aging, which likely leads to an increased long-term risk of inflammation-related diseases and mortality.

Late eating is reportedly associated with adverse metabolic health, possibly through poor diet quality. We tested the hypothesis that meal timing could also be linked to food processing, an independent predictor of health outcomes. We analysed data on 8688 Italians (aged > 19years) from the Italian Nutrition & HEalth Survey (INHES) established in 2010–2013 throughout Italy. Dietary data were collected through a single 24 h dietary recall, and the NOVA classification was used to categorize foods according to increasing levels of processing: (1) minimally processed foods (e.g., fruits); (2) culinary ingredients (e.g., butter); (3) processed foods (e.g., canned fish); (4) ultra-processed foods (UPFs; e.g., carbonated drinks, processed meat). We then calculated the proportion (%) of each NOVA group on the total weight of food eaten (g/d) by creating a weight ratio. Subjects were classified as early or late eaters based on the population’s median timing for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In multivariable-adjusted regression models, late eaters reported a lower intake of minimally processed food (β = −1.23; 95% CI −1.75 to −0.71), a higher intake of UPF (β = 0.93; 0.60 to 1.25) and reduced adherence to a Mediterranean Diet (β = −0.07; −0.12 to −0.03) as compared to early eaters. Future studies are warranted to examine whether increased UPF consumption may underpin the associations of late eating with adverse metabolic health reported in prior cohorts.

Background/Objectives: There is limited evidence on the association between maternal Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence and risks of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and excessive gestational weight gain (eGWG), and hence a systematic review of observational studies and randomized controlled trials was conducted. Methods: A total of 30,930 articles from the Scopus, EMBASE, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases were identified, published between January 2000 and April 2025. The National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0 were used to assess the quality of seven studies (one each were case-control and cross-sectional, three were RCTs, and two were prospective cohort studies). Results: Overall, the studies examined the risks of preeclampsia (four studies), GDM (five studies), and eGWG (three studies). Only one prospective cohort study out of four reported that MD adherence was associated with lower risk of preeclampsia (OR 0.78; 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.96 for highest vs. lowest tertile). MD adherence was associated with decreased risk of GDM in the intervention groups in four studies (two RCTs (OR: 0.75, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.98 and OR: 0.72, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.97) and one each of cross-sectional (OR: 2.32; 95% CI 2.13 to 2.57 for a 1-point decrease in the dietary score) and case-control studies (high Vs. low MD adherence: OR: 0.20, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.70)). MD adherence was associated with decreased risk of eGWG in two studies: one RCT (RR: 0.91, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.96 for a 1-point increment in the MD score) and one cross-sectional study (OR: 1.78; 95% CI 1.51 to 2.02 for a 1-point decrease in the MD score). Conclusions: Findings indicated the protective associations between MD adherence and GDM and eGWG risks but not for preeclampsia.

Background: Although national surveys report increasing ultra-processed foods (UPFs) consumption, updated estimates for Italy are lacking. Given the central role of the Mediterranean Diet (MD), understanding how UPFs contribute to the contemporary Italian diet is essential. This study quantified UPF intake in a convenience sample of Italian adults and examined its main sociodemographic correlates, including MD adherence. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among Italian adults (≥18 years). Dietary intake was assessed using the validated 94-item NOVA Food Frequency Questionnaire (NFFQ). Associations between sociodemographic factors and NOVA food groups were evaluated using multivariable-adjusted linear regression, expressed as beta coefficients (β) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). MD adherence was assessed using the Medi-Lite score. Results: Data from 1629 participants (79.8% women; mean age 42.1 years, range 18–85) recruited between September 2021 and April 2025 were analyzed. Participants resided in Northern (23.4%), Central (40.4%), and Southern Italy (36.2%). UPFs contributed 20.0% (95% CI: 19.5–20.6) of total energy intake, while unprocessed/minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, and processed foods accounted for 39.2%, 9.0%, and 31.8%, respectively. UPF consumption decreased with age (β = −3.34; 95% CI: −5.96 to −0.72 for >64 vs. ≤40 years) and was lower in Central (β = −2.92; 95% CI: −4.31 to −1.53) and Southern Italy (β = −1.51; 95% CI: −3.01 to −0.01) compared to the North. UPF intake showed an inverse linear association with MD adherence. Conclusions: UPFs contribute a modest share of total energy intake among Italian adults, consistent with other Mediterranean populations. Although based on a convenience sample, these findings highlight the relevance of the MD as a dietary model naturally limiting UPF consumption and provide updated evidence on UPF intake and its correlates in Italy.