Search results

Introduction: Portuguese population is drifting away from the Mediterranean diet-like pattern. In this context, the current nutritional status of women of childbearing age and of pregnant Portuguese women and their growing fetuses is critically reviewed. Material and Methods: A narrative critical review was performed on recent published high quality studies assessing diet and nutritional status of women of childbearing age and pregnant women and its influence on the nutritional status of their offspring. Results: Data from five multinational ecological studies that included Portugal, two national official surveys on food availability, seven national studies on the diet and nutritional status of women of childbearing age and pregnant women, and five national studies on the effect of nutritional maternal factors on their growing fetuses were selected and analyzed. The prevalence of overweight/obesity has dramatically increased in Portuguese women of childbearing age and pregnant women, associated with the described trend of low adherence to Mediterranean diet. Variations in energy and macronutrients intakes during pregnancy seem to have no significantly impact on the nutritional status of growing fetuses. On contrary, pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity has been associated with increased offspring adiposity at birth, and an excessive gestational weight gain may be associated with offspring's overweight status in childhood. Factors potentially contributing to low adherence to the Mediterranean diet, deserving further investigation, include European Union agriculture policies that have implemented the production of non-Mediterranean food groups at low cost, and insufficient financial capacity to afford foods of quality reported by Portuguese population. Conclusion: Retrieving traditional Mediterranean dietary habits should be incorporated into strategies for prevention and treatment of overweight/obesity in Portugal, especially in women of childbearing age. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Legume grains are important sources of nutrients in human and animal diets and have been so for millennia. Their history as part of traditional diets dates to the origins of agriculture when their benefits for soil health and agricultural productivity started to be realized, mostly empirically, by farmers. In time, legumes have lost their popularity as human food, either because of a negative connotation as "poor man's meat," occasional gastrointestinal side effects, or habitually longer preparation times when compared to other types of plant foods. Also, the steep rise in the consumption of meat derived foods in the last half of a century has taken a toll on replacing legumes as a major protein source. Alongside this negative trend in consumption, a negative drift in production was also observed, especially in Europe, where legumes currently occupy a minimal fraction of agricultural land. One of the main factors is a loss in competitive edge amongst farmers due to sustained lower public and private investments in breeding programs and legume adapted technology for planting, managing, harvesting, processing, and storing, when compared to cereals. Recently, increased awareness of the need to move to sustainable food systems is revitalizing legume production and consumption in Europe, leading to a compilation of policies and initiatives that aim to put legumes again as foundations for this transition. Legumes have been reinvented in a multitude of products (drinks, cereal bars, bread, meat replacers, snacks, flours, and several others) and included in farming systems of conservation agriculture, organic production, intercropping, and crop rotation, combining ancient traditions of legume production "with a spin," incorporating new legume technological knowledge in farming systems. However, the transition has been slow and hampered by many cultural, societal, political, and economic impediments. This paper summarizes initiatives that aim to enable the comeback of legumes and their placement in a more prominent position in human diets and agricultural fields and highlights strategies that aim at overcoming the obstacles that impede achieving the development of more sustainable agri-food systems and sustainable diets in Europe. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Legume grains have provided essential nutrients in human diets for centuries, being excellent sources of proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and fibers. They also contain several non-nutrients that historically have been connotated as toxic but that in recent years have been shown to have interesting bioactive properties. The discussion on the role of bioactive non-nutrients is becoming more important due to increasing science-based evidence on their potential antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and anticarcinogenic properties. At a time when legume-based products consumption is being strongly promoted by national governments and health authorities, there is a need to clearly define the recommended levels of such non-nutrients in human diets. However, there is insufficient data determining the ideal amount of non-nutrients in legume grains, which will exert the most positive health benefits. This is aligned with insufficient studies that clearly demonstrate if the positive health effects are due to the presence of specific non-nutrients or a result of a dietary balance. In fact, rather than looking directly at the individual food components, most nutritional epidemiology studies relate disease risk with the food and dietary patterns. The purpose of this perspective paper is to explore different types of non-nutrients present in legume grains, discuss the current evidence on their health benefits, and provide awareness for the need for more studies to define a recommended amount of each compound to identify the best approaches, either to enhance or reduce their levels. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Legume grains have provided essential nutrients in human diets for centuries, being excellent sources of proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and fibers. They also contain several non-nutrients that historically have been connotated as toxic but that in recent years have been shown to have interesting bioactive properties. The discussion on the role of bioactive non-nutrients is becoming more important due to increasing science-based evidence on their potential antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and anticarcinogenic properties. At a time when legume-based products consumption is being strongly promoted by national governments and health authorities, there is a need to clearly define the recommended levels of such non-nutrients in human diets. However, there is insufficient data determining the ideal amount of non-nutrients in legume grains, which will exert the most positive health benefits. This is aligned with insufficient studies that clearly demonstrate if the positive health effects are due to the presence of specific non-nutrients or a result of a dietary balance. In fact, rather than looking directly at the individual food components, most nutritional epidemiology studies relate disease risk with the food and dietary patterns. The purpose of this perspective paper is to explore different types of non-nutrients present in legume grains, discuss the current evidence on their health benefits, and provide awareness for the need for more studies to define a recommended amount of each compound to identify the best approaches, either to enhance or reduce their levels.

Introduction: Genetically modified (GM) foods have been approved in the European Union. These foods have been questioned for their actual benefits and risks. This is especially relevant in the case of the nutritional dimension, where consumers are confronted with daily decisions about how to best feed their families. Within this complex framework, health professionals are called upon to intervene and respond to the questions on opinion, attitude and science their clients bring in. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and opinion of nutritionists on the subject of transgenic foods and their perception of training needs. Material and Methods: Quantitative research. A questionnaire was applied between March and July 2016, and 248 individuals participated. The variables studied were opinion, knowledge, and training. Descriptive calculations and multiple correspondence analysis were performed to obtain the respondents' profiles. Results: With regard to opinion and knowledge results show that nutritionists are mostly unfavorable to genetically modified foods, even without knowing the technology in detail. They are aware of this illiteracy, which was confirmed by their answers to a number of objective questions about the national reality. Multiple correspondence analysis showed four different nutritionists' profiles are sufficient to group all participants. These profile types differ in interest and confidence levels relatively to the GM technology. Portuguese nutritionists do not have a unanimous position on GM foods but mostly agree that specific training in this area should take place at the university level. Conclusions: This article highlights the different profiles of opinion, knowledge, and training needs of health professionals, nutritionists, in relation to genetically modified foods. Lifelong learning and interdisciplinary training supported by specific research, associations of health professionals and interference in public policies may strengthen attitudes towards the thematic. ; Introducción: Los alimentos modificados genéticamente (AGM) han sido aprobados en la Unión Europea. Estos alimentos, han sido cuestionados en cuanto a sus beneficios y riesgos reales. Esto es especialmente relevante en el caso de la dimensión nutricional, donde los consumidores se enfrentan a decisiones diarias sobre cómo alimentar mejor a sus familias. En este marco complejo, los profesionales de la salud deben intervenir y responder a las preguntas sobre opinión, actitud y ciencia que tienen sus clientes. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el conocimiento y la opinión de los nutricionistas sobre el tema de los alimentos transgénicos y su percepción de las necesidades de capacitación. Materiales y métodos: Investigación cuantitava. Se aplicó un cuestionario entre marzo y julio de 2016, y participaron 248 personas. Las variables estudiadas fueron opinión, conocimiento y formación. Se realizaron cálculos descriptivos y análisis de correspondencia múltiple para obtener los perfiles de los encuestados. Resultados: Con respecto a la opinión y el conocimiento, los resultados muestran que los nutricionistas son en su mayoría desfavorables a los alimentos modificados genéticamente, incluso sin conocer la tecnología en detalle. Son conscientes de este desconocimiento, que fue confirmado por sus respuestas a una serie de preguntas objetivas sobre la realidad nacional. El análisis de correspondencia múltiple mostró que cuatro diferentes perfiles de los nutricionistas son suficientes para agrupar a todos los participantes. Estos tipos de perfil difieren en niveles de interés y niveles y confianza en relación con la tecnología de AGM. Los nutricionistas portugueses no tienen una posición unánime con respecto a los alimentos transgénicos pero en su mayoría están de acuerdo en que la capacitación específica en esta área debería realizarse a nivel universitario. Conclusión: Este artículo destaca los diferentes perfiles de opinión, conocimiento y formación de profesionales, nutricionistas, en relación con los alimentos modificados genéticamente. El aprendizaje permanente y la formación interdisciplinaria apoyada por investigaciones específicas, asociaciones de profesionales de la salud e interferencia en las políticas públicas pueden fortalecer las actitudes hacia la temática. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Introduction: Genetically modified (GM) foods have been approved in the European Union. These foods have been questioned for their actual benefits and risks. This is especially relevant in the case of the nutritional dimension, where consumers are confronted with daily decisions about how to best feed their families. Within this complex framework, health professionals are called upon to intervene and respond to the questions on opinion, attitude and science their clients bring in. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and opinion of nutritionists on the subject of transgenic foods and their perception of training needs.Material and methods: Quantitative research. A questionnaire was applied between March and July 2016, and 248 individuals participated. The variables studied were opinion, knowledge, and training. Descriptive calculations and multiple correspondence analysis were performed to obtain the respondents' profiles.Results: With regard to opinion and knowledge results show that nutritionists are mostly unfavorable to genetically modified foods, even without knowing the technology in detail. They are aware of this illiteracy, which was confirmed by their answers to a number of objective questions about the national reality. Multiple correspondence analysis showed four different nutritionists' profiles are sufficient to group all participants. These profile types differ in interest and confidence levels relatively to the GM technology. Portuguese nutritionists do not have a unanimous position on GM foods but mostly agree that specific training in this area should take place at the university level.Conclusions: This article highlights the different profiles of opinion, knowledge, and training needs of health professionals, nutritionists, in relation to genetically modified foods. Lifelong learning and interdisciplinary training supported by specific research, associations of health professionals and interference in public policies may strengthen attitudes towards the thematic. ...

Introdução: Alimentos geneticamente modificados (AGM) entraram recentemente no mercado europeu. Essa decisão política gerou polêmica social devido ao debate sobre os riscos reais à saúde e ao meio ambiente. Diante dessa realidade, profissionais da saúde, como médicos e nutricionistas, desempenham papel fundamental na decodificação dessa nova tecnologia de alimentos. Portanto, é relevante um diagnóstico da realidade pessoal, profissional e das necessidades de treinamento desses especialistas em relação ao AGM. Objetivos: Construir e validar um questionário para caracterizar as necessidades de conhecimento, opinião e treinamento de nutricionistas e médicos sobre alimentos geneticamente modificados. Método: o questionário foi implementado on-line em 2016, com um total de 526 respondentes. Foram aplicadas estratégias de validação por meio de análise semântica, análise de consistência interna e análise fatorial exploratória. Resultados e Discussão: O questionário foi validado, apresentando confiabilidade baseada no coeficiente alfa de Cronbach de 0,76. Foram extraídos 17 fatores, organizados em quatro temas: opinião, formação, conhecimento e realidade pessoal / profissional. Este artigo destaca a importância dos procedimentos estatísticos na validação de questionários. Conclusão: O questionário pode ser implementado como uma ferramenta de diagnóstico para verificar a realidade dos profissionais de saúde (médicos e nutricionistas, em particular) que lidam com os desafios da introdução de alimentos transgênicos na dieta alimentar humana. ; Introduction: Genetically modified foods (GMF) have recently entered the European market. This political decision generated social controversy due to debate over the actual health and environmental risks. Faced with this reality, health professionals, such as physicians and nutritionists, play a key role in decoding this new food technology. A diagnosis of the personal, professional reality and training needs of these specialists regarding GMF is therefore relevant. Objectives: To construct and validate a questionnaire to characterize the knowledge, opinion and training needs of nutritionists and physicians regarding genetically modified foods. Methods: The questionnaire was implemented online in 2016, with 526 respondents. Validation strategies through semantic analysis, internal consistency analysis and exploratory factor analysis were applied. Results and Discussion: The questionnaire was validated, presenting a reliability based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.76. Seventeen factors were extracted, being organized in four themes: opinion, training, knowledge and personal / professional reality. This article highlights the importance of statistical procedures in the validation of questionnaires. Conclusion: The questionnaire could be implemented as a diagnostic tool to ascertain the reality of health professionals (namely physicians and nutritionists, in particular) dealing with challenges of introducing transgenic foods into human food diet.

The objective of this work was to establish and assess a training module for Nutrition Sciences and Medical Sciences in relation to transgenic food, and additionally to contribute to the construction of a comprehensive learning concept involving scientific, technological and social knowledge. This module is an integrative and multidisciplinary proposal that studies the transgenic foods currently on the market through an integrated scientific, technological and societal approach. The topics offered in the module were: genetics, health, the environment, legislation, ethics, controversies, concerns, visions of the various stakeholders, the scientific method, uncertainty and the precautionary principle. Was evaluated from September to December 2018 through a questionnaire and interview. Were analyzed in the program SPSS, and the interviews in the program Nvivo using content analysis techniques. Participants include: 7 nutritionists and 7 physicians. The structure of the training module presented is innovative and has its genesis in the current Transgenic food state of art. It has been found that both physicians and nutritionists agree with most of the topics. For both nutritionists and physicians, topics with a greater level of agreement were related to "Health" and the lowest level of agreement regarded "Stakeholders' insight". For the interviewees, the module's contents are well structured, comprehensive, well explained and organized by topic. With unanimity, the individuals involved in this study agree and consider the themes presented in the module structure to be important, although there is a difference between the courses of nutrition science and medicine regarding the way in which training is offered as well as differences in some content. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion