Healthy fats for healthy nutrition. An educational approach in the workplace to regulate food choices and improve prevention of non-communicable diseases.

INTRODUCTION: An educational activity, aimed at highlighting the benefits of Mediterranean Diet, compared to less healthy eating patterns, can encourage the adoption and maintenance of a mindful approach to food choice. This is especially important when a progressive shift towards a non-Mediterranean dietary pattern can be observed, even in Mediterranean countries. AIM: To test a protocol aimed at increasing knowledge and motivation to embrace healthy eating habits and, engendering conscientious food choices, improve the prevention of non-communicable diseases. METHODS: Employees were involved in educational activities focusing on a healthy Mediterranean diet and on the role played by extra-virgin olive oil, one of its key components. Food questionnaires were completed both before and after the educational and information activities, in order to assess changes in personal knowledge of and attitudes towards fat consumption. RESULTS: Answers on dietary guidelines and fat properties were more accurate after the seminars. The results showed increased understanding of the properties of extra-virgin olive oil versus seed oil and a stronger tendency towards healthy food choices. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing preventive information and training strategies and tools in the workplace, can motivate a more mindful approach to food choice with the long-term goal of contribute to reducing non-communicable diseases.

Thrombophilia and damage of kidney during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: It's known that heritable thrombophilias are a risk factor for the development of obstetrics complications associated to inadequate uterine-placental circulation, as pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, placental abruption and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), however it was never investigated the role that they could have in the renal failure associated to such conditions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if thrombophilia itself that predispose to a possible renal damage or if its occurrence determines a more severe involvement of the kidneys in the course of these obstetric pathologies. METHODS: In the study were enrolled 301 pregnant women, who carried a thrombophilic state, 125 of whom (B group) has had an obstetric complication. In all the women the renal function was assessed taking into consideration proteinuria, creatininaemia and hypalbuminaemia. RESULTS: Of the three parameters which have been considered as evidence of a severe renal involvement the hypalbuminaemia appears statistically significant compared to the controls. Even creatinaemia is significantly increased in pregnant women with an Anthithrombin deficiency, and increased levels are detected in women with Factor V Leiden. CONCLUSIONS: In obstetric complications associated to thrombophilic state could be a more severe involvement of the kidney.