Tamara Sorić

Endometriosis is a chronic, estrogen-dependent inflammatory condition that affects multiple organ systems and significantly impairs the quality of life in women of reproductive age. While conventional hormonal therapies may alleviate symptoms of endometriosis, they are also frequently associated with intolerable side effects. As a result, there is growing interest in complementary, non-invasive strategies to support long-term disease management. This review explores the potential of plant-based diets and personalized nutrition as adjunctive approaches in endometriosis care. Plant-based dietary patterns, which are rich in antioxidants, phytochemicals, dietary fiber, and essential micronutrients, have been shown to reduce systemic inflammation, modulate estrogen activity, and alleviate pelvic pain. Additionally, the use of medicinal plants, such as curcumin and ginger, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects in preclinical studies. Moreover, identifying and addressing individual food sensitivities, particularly to gluten, dairy, or fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, may improve gastrointestinal and inflammatory symptoms in susceptible individuals. Future research should focus on high-quality clinical trials and integrative care models to evaluate the long-term efficacy, safety, and sustainability of these individualized nutritional interventions in the holistic management of endometriosis.

Introduction: Consuming unhealthy foods in emotional states can increase body mass index (BMI), contribute to becoming overweight, and lead to the development of chronic diseases. This study aims to investigate the associations between BMI, emotional motivation for food consumption, and health outcomes. Materials and methods: “The Motivations for Food Choices” (EATMOT) questionnaire was used to assess the emotional components of food consumption in 9,036 individuals from 12 European countries. The multivariate analysis included linear and logistic regression to examine associations between variables. Results: Regression models confirmed associations between BMI, emotional motivation for food consumption (β = 0.13; p < 0.001), obesity (β = 0.35; p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension (β = 0.04; p < 0.001 for both). Using food as a coping mechanism for stress contributed to an increase in BMI [OR = 1.31 (95% CI 1.14–1.51); p < 0.001]. Emotional consolation was associated with a higher likelihood of an increased BMI [OR = 1.22 (95% CI 1.03–1.44); p = 0.020] and obesity [OR = 1.47 (95% CI 1.06–2.06); p = 0.022]. Participants with obesity had a greater likelihood of developing noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases [OR = 2.18 (95% CI 1.45–3.28); p < 0.001], diabetes mellitus [OR = 2.02 (95% CI 1.31–3.12); p = 0.001], hypercholesterolemia [OR = 1.62 (95% CI 1.13–2.32); p = 0.009], hypertension [OR = 1.85 (95% CI 1.36–2.52); p < 0.001], and gastric disorders [OR = 1.81 (95% CI 1.16–2.85); p = 0.010]. Conclusion: These results underscore the need for targeted public health interventions that address emotional eating behaviors and promote healthier coping strategies to mitigate the risk of obesity and related health complications.

Malnutrition frequently affects older adults, increasing their risk for numerous diseases, as well as healthcare costs. Therefore, nutritional assessment and appropriate nutritional support addressed to meet individual nutritional needs and prevent malnutrition and its consequences should be a fundamental part of healthcare for older adults. This study aimed to compare the knowledge of nutrition guidelines for older adults between healthcare and non-healthcare professionals working with older adults. The study was conducted during May and June 2021 using a validated “Knowledge of nutrition guidelines for older adults” questionnaire designed by Andrija Stampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Croatia. The study participants were recruited from various institutions providing care for older adults in Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The final convenience sample consisted of 214 participants (163 healthcare professionals and 51 non-healthcare professionals). The obtained results were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The associations between participants’ characteristics and knowledge about the importance of nutrition in disease prevention and treatment, the assessment of nutritional status in older adults, and clinical nutrition were analyzed using multiple linear regression models. Participants’ overall knowledge of nutrition guidelines for older adults was moderate in both groups, with healthcare professionals scoring a median of 7.0 (IQR = 1.0) and non-healthcare professionals scoring a median of 6.0 (IQR = 2.0). Compared to non-healthcare professionals, healthcare professionals had lower knowledge about the importance of nutrition in disease prevention and treatment (β = − 0.16; p = 0.024). No statistically significant differences were found between healthcare and non-healthcare professionals in the level of knowledge about the assessment of nutritional status in older adults (β = − 0.02; p = 0.769) and clinical nutrition (β = 0.08; p = 0.267). This study highlights gaps in knowledge regarding dietary guidelines for older adults among healthcare and non-healthcare professionals working with this specific population group. These findings suggest that targeted educational programs might be needed to improve understanding of geriatric nutrition.

In the last few decades, vitamin D has undeniably been one of the most studied nutrients. Despite our ability to produce vitamin D through sunlight exposure, its presence in several natural food sources and fortified foods, and its widespread availability as a dietary supplement, vitamin D deficiency is a serious public health problem, affecting nearly 50% of the global population. Low serum levels of vitamin D are being associated with increased susceptibility to numerous health conditions, including respiratory infections, mental health, autoimmune diseases, and different cancer types. Although the association between vitamin D status and health is well-established, the exact beneficial effects of vitamin D are still inconclusive and indefinite, especially when considering the prevention and treatment of different health conditions and the determination of an appropriate dosage to exert those beneficial effects in various population groups. Therefore, further research is needed. With constant improvements in our understanding of individual variations in vitamin D metabolism and requirements, in the future, precision nutrition and personalized supplementation plans could prove beneficial.

To investigate the main motives driving dietary intake changes potentially introduced by preventive measures to address the pandemic, an online survey, using a 36-item Food Choice Questionnaire applied for the period before (the year 2019) and during (2020–2021) the pandemic, was distributed between July and October 2021 among adult residents from Belgium. A total of 427 eligible respondents, the majority Dutch-speaking, were included for analyses. The importance of nine motives for food choices, including health, mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, price, weight control, familiarity and ethical concerns, was assessed by scoring from 1 to 5, and comparing mean scores from the during period with the before period. Sensory appeal was the most important food choice motive before (mean score of 4.02 ± 0.51) and during (3.98 ± 0.48) the pandemic. Convenience and health also ranked among the main motives, with health observed to become more important during the pandemic (3.69 ± 0.60 during vs. 3.64 ± 0.59 before). Additionally, mean scores of mood (3.41 ± 0.71 vs. 3.32 ± 0.58), natural content (3.35 ± 0.84 vs. 3.26 ± 0.85) and weight control (3.33 ± 0.79 vs. 3.25 ± 0.76) were significantly higher during as compared to before. The extent of change in the level of importance for natural content was smaller with increasing age, and for health larger for urban areas, but for other motives there were no significant differences across population subgroups. Changes in the level of importance were observed in both directions, while a moderate share of respondents declared no change, suggesting some persistence of food choice motives. Further activities within public health monitoring should be considered to fully understand the COVID-19 implications on food choice motives together with people’s food behaviors and consumption.

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic brought changes to almost every segment of our lives, including dietary habits. We present one among several studies, and the first on the Croatian population, aiming at investigating changes of food choice motives before and during the pandemic. The study was performed in June 2021 as an online-based survey, using a 36-item Food Choice Questionnaire applied for both the periods before and during the pandemic. The final sample consisted of 1232 adults living in Croatia. Sensory appeal was ranked as the number one most important food choice motive before, whereas health was ranked as the number one most important food choice motive during the pandemic. Ethical concern was reported as the least important food choice motive both before and during the pandemic. In women, natural content (p = 0.002), health, convenience, price, weight control, familiarity, and ethical concern (all p < 0.001) became more important during the pandemic, while price (p = 0.009), weight control, familiarity, and ethical concern (all p < 0.001) became more relevant for men. All together, these can be considered favorable changes toward optimal diets and may result in beneficial influences on health and lifestyle. Education strategies and efficiently tackling misinformation are prerequisites for informed food choice, which will ensure long-lasting positive effects of such changes.

Background and Objectives: The true prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the reason for it being higher in patients with schizophrenia when compared to general population have not yet been fully determined. Although being considered as one of the major causes, currently there are limited findings regarding differences in dietary patterns of schizophrenic patients with and without MetS. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of MetS among hospitalized patients with schizophrenia, to investigate the differences in socio-demographic, clinical, and lifestyle characteristics between participants with and without MetS, with the special emphasis being put on their dietary habits, and to ascertain the correlation between dietary habits and MetS components. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study included 259 hospitalized patients with schizophrenia aged ≥ 18 years. All participants underwent basic anthropometric measurements, blood sampling and blood pressure assessment, and provided relevant socio-demographic and lifestyle information. The presence of MetS was determined according to the Joint Interim Statement definition and dietary habits were assessed using a non-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Results: The overall prevalence of MetS was 47.9%. No socio-demographic or lifestyle differences were found between participants with and without MetS. A large number of participants (42.9%) reported consuming carbonated soft drinks on a daily basis. Daily frequency of fruit (11.6%) and vegetables intake (29.3%) was far below recommended. Dietary habits of participants with and without MetS did not significantly differ, while consumption frequencies of some of the studied food and beverage items and groups significantly correlated with certain MetS components (such as statistically significant positive correlation between cured meat products consumption frequency and waist circumference, as well as between red meat consumption frequency and systolic blood pressure). Conclusions: The concept of the present study did not allow us to distinguish to what extent the participants’ dietary habits were influenced by independent procurement of food products, nor has it allowed us to quantify the portion sizes of consumed food and beverage items and groups. Nevertheless, the findings indicate the need for early identification of individuals with high MetS risk and for the incorporation of nutritional support programs into hospital treatment of patients with schizophrenia.

The relationship between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in people with schizophrenia is unknown and remains to be investigated. Therefore, we have conducted a three-month parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Sixty-seven hospitalized schizophrenic patients with MetS [n = 33 in the intervention group (IG) and n = 34 in the control group (CG)] completed the intervention. The IG followed the DASH diet with the caloric restriction of approximately 1673.6 kJ/day (400 kcal/day) when compared to the standard hospital diet followed by the CG. Simultaneously, both groups participated in a nutrition counseling program. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters and blood pressure were measured at the baseline and after three months, while nutrient intakes during the intervention were assessed using three non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls. The analyses were carried out based on the per-protocol approach. At three months, the MetS prevalence significantly decreased in both the IG and the CG (75.8%, p = 0.002, and 67.7%, p = 0.0003, respectively; odds ratio = 0.9; 95% confidence interval = 0.43–1.87). No significant differences in the prevalence of MetS and its features were found between the groups.