Comparing the Dietary Habits and the Food Choices Between Italian and Dominican Adult Populations: Focus on Fruit and Vegetable Intakes and Their Association with Skin Carotenoid Levels.

ABSTRACT: The Mediterranean Diet (MD) is characterized by a high intake of fruits and vegetables (FVs), which is considered as an important contributor to the beneficial effects of the MD pattern. In this cross-sectional study, we compared the food choices, evaluated by dietary habit questionnaires, of a sample of 995 adults, including 601 and 394 participants from Southern Italy and the Dominican Republic, respectively. In addition, we focused on their FV consumption, assessed by the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) questionnaire, and on its association with skin carotenoid levels as measured by the Veggie Meter^®. We found that a significantly higher percentage of Italians had five meals/day and breakfast compared to Dominicans (five meals/day: 43 vs. 25, p < 0.05; br

SUBMITTER: Augimeri G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11508049 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature