Papers by Effie Vasilopoulou
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2013
Carotenoids, vitamins (A, B2, C and E) and total folate are related to health promotion. However,... more Carotenoids, vitamins (A, B2, C and E) and total folate are related to health promotion. However, there are still many food matrices for which the content of these compounds is not available. In order to fill this gap, traditional foods from Black Sea Area countries (BSAC) were analysed in order to investigate their potential health benefits. The most abundant carotenoid was β-carotene. Plum jam was the sample with the highest β-carotene content (608 µg 100 g(-1) edible portion). The group of vegetables and vegetable-based foods contributed most to β-carotene content. Evergreen cherry laurel presented the highest l-ascorbic acid content (29.9 mg 100 g(-1) edible portion), while the highest riboflavin and total folate contents were found for roasted sunflower seeds. Approximately 61% of the analysed samples showed quantifiable amounts of α-tocopherol but did not contain retinol. Despite the great variability in the content of carotenoids, vitamins and total folate, most of the analysed traditional foods from BSAC can be considered good sources of these compounds. Therefore, owing to their putative health benefits, the consumption of those with higher contents of these compounds should be encouraged and promoted.
Public Health Nutrition, 2002
Objectives: To describe and compare the consumption of dairy products in cohorts included in the ... more Objectives: To describe and compare the consumption of dairy products in cohorts included in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Methods: Data from single 24-hour dietary recall interviews collected through a highly standardised computer-based program (EPIC-SOFT) in 27 redefined centres in 10 European countries between 1995 and 2000. From a total random sample of 36 900, 22 924 women and 13 031 men were selected after exclusion of subjects under 35 and over 74 years of age.
Public Health Nutrition, 2006
There is increasing evidence for a significant effect of processed meat (PM) intake on cancer ris... more There is increasing evidence for a significant effect of processed meat (PM) intake on cancer risk. However, refined knowledge on how components of this heterogeneous food group are associated with cancer risk is still missing. Here, actual data on the intake of PM subcategories is given; within a food-based approach we considered preservation methods, cooking methods and nutrient content for stratification, in order to address most of the aetiologically relevant hypotheses. Standardised computerised 24-hour diet recall interviews were collected within the framework of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), a prospective cohort study in 27 centres across 10 European countries. Subjects were 22,924 women and 13,031 men aged 35-74 years. Except for the so-called…
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007
Guarantor: N Slimani. Contributors: NS was the overall coordinator of the ENDB project and in cha... more Guarantor: N Slimani. Contributors: NS was the overall coordinator of the ENDB project and in charge of the preparation of the paper in collaboration with the other co-authors. GD, JV, GS, SS, MP, IU, DATS, NS were members of the 'task force group' involving specific managerial or technical tasks for the project and/or the preparation of reference ENDB guidelines. IU was also in charge of the development of the DBMS in collaboration with the coordinating centre. SS, MP, PG, AM, JI, WB, AF, SW, EV, JU, SC and AB were involved as the national compilers in charge of documenting, compiling and evaluating the subset of their national nutrient databases used in the ENDB project. AM, JI, WB and IU were also involved as members of the 'ENDB expert group' headed by DATS, in charge of revising the reference ENDB guidelines. MN, MCB-R, CS, AT, SN, IM, JR, HB, MO, PHMP, PJ, PA, DE, EL, MS de M, AT, KG, CS, SR, AW, SB were involved as local EPIC collaborators in the supervision and preparation of EPIC-specific databases relevant to the ENDB project (e.g. recipe files). CC and MvB, at the coordinating centre, were involved in tasks relevant to these EPIC databases. AFS has provided long-standing scientific collaboration and support for setting up the ENDB. ER is the overall coordinator of the EPIC study. All co-authors provided comments and suggestions on the manuscript.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2013
Traditional foods are an important part of the culture, history, identity and heritage of a regio... more Traditional foods are an important part of the culture, history, identity and heritage of a region or country and are key elements in dietary patterns. In most countries there is limited information on the nutritional composition of such foods and therefore there is a need to investigate, register and promote traditional foods. One of the aims within the 'Sustainable exploitation of bioactive components from the Black Sea Area traditional foods' (BaSeFood) project is to generate for the first time new data on the nutritional composition of traditional foods from six Black Sea Area countries to promote their sustainable development and exploitation. Thirty-three traditional foods were analysed in an accredited laboratory to determine their nutritional composition, and the data were fully documented. The nutrient content varied widely because of the nature and variety of the analysed foods. The energy content ranged between 4 kcal per 100 g for kvass southern and 900 kcal per 100 g for mustard oil, with the exception of the analysed teas, which did not contribute to energy intake. The use of a common methodology for the study of traditional foods will enable countries to further investigate these foods. Moreover, a new nutritional knowledge base of traditional foods from Black Sea Area countries will contribute to promote local biodiversity and sustainable diets by maintaining healthy dietary patterns within local cultures.
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2013
Nutrition and health claims are permitted in foods marketed in the European Union under Regulatio... more Nutrition and health claims are permitted in foods marketed in the European Union under Regulation 1924/2006. Quality products such as traditional foods might benefit from this act, as it can highlight their nutritional richness. In this study the nutritional content of 33 traditional foods from the Black Sea Area Countries was evaluated against the thresholds of the Regulation for nutrition claims. Most of the foods were eligible to bear several nutrition claims, mostly related to their fat, sugar, fiber and sodium content. The average number of claims per traditional food was two, with a range between zero and nine. Overall, about 72 nutrition claims were potentially relevant for the 33 traditional foods studied. Foods linked with the most claims were nuts and seeds. The inclusion of traditional foods under this standardized European scheme could be an efficient way to highlight their possible beneficial nutritional properties. The production and marketing of traditional foods could be of benefit to both the health of consumers and the economic viability of producers, especially small- and medium-size enterprises.
Nutrition Reviews
There is substantial evidence that several variants of the Mediterranean diet reduce the incidenc... more There is substantial evidence that several variants of the Mediterranean diet reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and perhaps other chronic conditions. Recently, the final results of the Lyon Diet Heart Study, a randomized secondary prevention trial, indicated that the Mediterranean diet substantially reduces the rate of recurrence after a first myocardial infarction. Data from this study also suggest that the Mediterranean diet protects against CHD through mechanisms that are independent of traditional CHD risk factors. We postulate that the antioxidant properties of several plant foods in the Mediterranean diet may be critical mediators of the beneficial effects of this diet.
Forum of Nutrition, 2005
Background/Aims: The traditional Mediterranean diet is frequently being considered as a prototype... more Background/Aims: The traditional Mediterranean diet is frequently being considered as a prototype for dietary recommendations. We have investigated a weekly menu typical of the Greek variant of the Mediterranean diet to examine the compatibility with the nutritional recommendations of the Scientific Committee for Food of the European Commission, concerning macronutrients and certain micronutrients. Methods: A typical weekly traditional Greek Mediterranean menu was chemically analyzed and certain food constituents, like flavonoids were theoretically estimated. Results: The evaluated typical menu meets all the dietary recommendations for macronutrients. The daily energy intake is derived from dietary lipids (40.3%) and carbohydrates (41.4%). The ratio of ␣-tocopherol per gram of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the Mediterranean diet under investigation is around 0.4 mg, indicating a well-balanced diet. With respect to microcomponents, with existing recommendations of the Scientific Committee for Food of the European Commission, such as inorganic constituents, the investigated menu meets all the requirements. Conclusion: The diet that the Mediterranean populations developed many years ago, without any scientific input, appears to meet current dietary recommendations.
Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2009
Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 2003
The analyses of composite recipes are frequently missing in nutrient databases and their inclusio... more The analyses of composite recipes are frequently missing in nutrient databases and their inclusion presupposes expensive and fairly complicated chemical analyses. The nutritional composition of traditional Greek composite foods was determined through chemical analyses and by the computerized program, Unilever Dietary Analysis Program (UNIDAP). The chemical analyses followed standard procedures and were also performed on all the raw ingredients used for preparation for the composite foods. The UNIDAP system was originally based on the British Food Composition Tables, but has been enriched over the years with compositional data representative of Greek food items, derived from chemical analyses conducted in the context of research projects.
International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 2001
Various studies have demonstrated that the nutrient and non-nutrient substances present in vegeta... more Various studies have demonstrated that the nutrient and non-nutrient substances present in vegetables and fruit (V&F) are most likely to be responsible for the beneficial effect of the increased V&F consumption. Urged by scientific evidence, current dietary guidelines strongly recommend the consumption of V&F in substantial amounts. In a recent paper (Brit. J. Nutr. 2000; 84, 549-556) V&F availability in 10 European countries was compared with the WHO recommendations (minimum combined V&F intake of about 400 g/day/person), as well as with guidelines of a minimum daily intake of three portions of vegetables (approx. 250 g/person) and two portions of fruit (approx. 150 g/person). All countries, excluding Greece, had a vegetable intake below the recommended minimum. Moreover, in all countries, the percentages of low vegetable consumers were significantly higher than those of low fruit consumers, suggesting that there is considerable room for improvement in the intake of vegetables, an important source of antioxidants. Wild edible greens are among the vegetables commonly consumed in Greece. These greens have a high flavonoid content, which in several cases substantially exceeds the respective values in foods and beverages, such as onions, black tea and red wine (Food Chemistry 2000; 70, 319-323). The high flavonoid content of edible wild greens requires consideration of their role in contemporary diet, as a possible mean for increasing vegetable consumption.
Food Chemistry, 2011
The health benefits of the traditional Mediterranean diet are universally recognised. However, da... more The health benefits of the traditional Mediterranean diet are universally recognised. However, data on the nutritional and phytochemical content of the traditional foods of the Mediterranean diet is necessary to further elucidate the impact of this diet on health. This work presents the flavonol, flavone and flavan-3-ol content of a Cretan green pie recipe, kaltsounia with greens and cheese, and of the individual greens used in the preparation determined by Reverse Phase HPLC. The fact that the highest contents of the three flavonoid classes studied were found in three different greens, points out the nutritional value in consuming a mixture of greens rather than individual ones. Traditional foods such as green pies are particularly rich in flavonoids, which makes this specific food of the traditional Greek diet a healthy, nutritious, delicious daily snack.
Breast cancer research and treatment, Jan 3, 2015
The aim was to investigate the association between pre-diagnostic intakes of polyphenol classes (... more The aim was to investigate the association between pre-diagnostic intakes of polyphenol classes (flavonoids, lignans, phenolic acids, stilbenes, and other polyphenols) in relation to breast cancer survival (all-cause and breast cancer-specific mortality). We used data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. Pre-diagnostic usual diet was assessed using dietary questionnaires, and polyphenol intakes were estimated using the Phenol-Explorer database. We followed 11,782 breast cancer cases from time of diagnosis until death, end of follow-up or last day of contact. During a median of 6 years, 1482 women died (753 of breast cancer). We related polyphenol intake to all-cause and breast cancer-specific mortality using Cox proportional hazard models with time since diagnosis as underlying time and strata for age and country. Among postmenopausal women, an intake of lignans in the highest versus lowest quartile was related to a 28 % lower risk of dying f...
Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, Jan 24, 2015
A large proportion of colorectal cancers (CRC) are thought to be associated with unhealthy dietar... more A large proportion of colorectal cancers (CRC) are thought to be associated with unhealthy dietary and lifestyle exposures, particularly energy excess, obesity, hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia. It has been suggested that these processes stimulate the production of toxic reactive carbonyls from sugars such as glyceraldehyde. Glyceraldehyde contributes to the production of a group of compounds known as glyceraldehyde-derived advanced glycation end-products (glycer-AGEs) which may promote CRC through their pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidative properties. The objective of this study nested within a prospective cohort was to explore the association of circulating glycer-AGEs with risk of CRC. 1,055 CRC cases (colon n = 659; rectal n = 396) were matchced (1:1) to control subjects. Circulating glycer-AGEs were measured by a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Multivariable conditional logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval...
... National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA), Portugal [email protected]. ... more ... National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA), Portugal [email protected]. pt 4th International Congress on Food and Nutrition together with ... sweet basil leaves, sage leaves, tomato paste, peppers paste, sunflower oil, salt, black peppercorns, wheat flour ...
This work was performed within the collaborative research program "Sustainable exploitation of bi... more This work was performed within the collaborative research program "Sustainable exploitation of bioactive components from the Black Sea Area (BSA) traditional foods -BaSeFood". In most of the BSA countries, there is a lack of information on the nutritional composition of traditional foods, therefore, nutritional research on such foods is of great importance. Phytosterols (PS) are bioactive compounds of many foodstuffs, especially in food items of plant origin. PS are known to have several bioactive properties with various implications on human health. Also, the consumption of fatty acids (FA) is important because it can be associated with both negative and beneficial health effects, depending on the FA. The aim of this study was to analyse the total fat, PS and FA profile of 33 traditional foods.
BACKGROUND: Traditional foods are an important part of the culture, history, identity and heritag... more BACKGROUND: Traditional foods are an important part of the culture, history, identity and heritage of a region or country and are key elements in dietary patterns. In most countries there is limited information on the nutritional composition of such foods and therefore there is a need to investigate, register and promote traditional foods. One of the aims within the 'Sustainable exploitation of bioactive components from the Black Sea Area traditional foods' (BaSeFood) project is to generate for the first time new data on the nutritional composition of traditional foods from six Black Sea Area countries to promote their sustainable development and exploitation.
Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2007
Traditional foods reflect cultural inheritance and have left their imprints on contemporary dieta... more Traditional foods reflect cultural inheritance and have left their imprints on contemporary dietary patterns. They are key elements for the dietary patterns in different countries and consequently are important to accurately estimate population dietary intakes. However, this information is missing from most current national food composition databases. EuroFIR aims to enrich national food composition tables that lack nutrient data on traditional foods and to provide data on selected bioactive components. In this context, a common definition of traditional foods has been agreed upon for the classification of traditional foods in European food composition tables. A list of traditional foods, for which analytical nutritional and bioactive data will be provided, has been developed.
Uploads
Papers by Effie Vasilopoulou