Publications by authors named "Nicola P Bondonno"

Introduction: Nitrate and nitrite, present in food and drinking water, may contribute to colorectal cancer (CRC) through the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds (NOCs). This study examined source-specific associations with CRC and subtypes, considering potential dietary and lifestyle factors that influence NOC formation.

Methods: In the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Cohort (N=54,610), nitrate/nitrite intake was estimated from comprehensive databases and national monitoring data.

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Background And Aim: Mechanistic data suggests several flavonoids may improve kidney function, but no large-scale prospective cohort study has been conducted. As such, we performed a prospective population-based study on flavonoid intakes, chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk, and all-cause mortality among participants with CKD.

Methods: We examined associations between a Flavodiet score (FDS), individual flavonoid-rich foods and subclasses (based on ≥2 24-h dietary assessments) and a) CKD risk among 109,711 adults, and b) all-cause mortality among 3,287 participants with CKD at baseline, aged 40-69 years using multivariable Cox regression analyses.

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Vitamin K refers to a group of lipid-soluble vitamins that exist in two natural isoforms; phylloquinone (PK, vitamin K1) and menaquinones (MKs, vitamin K2). Phylloquinone, the primary dietary source, is found abundantly in green vegetables and plant oils. Menaquinones (MK-4 through MK-13) are synthesized by anaerobic bacteria and may be obtained through the diet from fermented foods and animal products (e.

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Higher habitual intakes of dietary flavonoids have been linked with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and major chronic disease. Yet, the contribution of diversity of flavonoid intake to health outcomes remains to be investigated. Here, using a cohort of 124,805 UK Biobank participants, we show that participants who consumed the widest diversity of dietary flavonoids, flavonoid-rich foods and/or specific flavonoid subclasses had a 6-20% significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality and incidence of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, respiratory disease and neurodegenerative disease.

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Background: Growing evidence suggests that health outcomes of dietary nitrate and nitrite intake are food source dependent. Robust evaluations in dietary studies necessitate a comprehensive and current food composition database of nitrate/nitrite content, along with variation based on country or region of origin, calendar year, growing season, and cooking method.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to update the previous animal- and plant-based food nitrate/nitrite databases and investigate effects of cooking methods, seasonal and geographic variations, and longitudinal changes on nitrate and nitrite content to guide application of the database in observational and clinical studies.

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Purpose: Vitamin K may inhibit vascular calcification, a common attribute of atherosclerotic vascular diseases (ASVDs). We examined associations between dietary vitamin K1 intakes and both subclinical atherosclerosis and ASVD events, including hospitalisations and mortality, in older women.

Methods: 1,436 community-dwelling women (mean ± SD age 75.

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Background: Dietary nitrate, as a nitric oxide (NO) precursor, may support brain health and protect against dementia.

Objective: Our primary aim was to investigate whether dietary nitrate is associated with neuroimaging markers of brain health linked with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Participants: Study participants were cognitively unimpaired individuals from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study of Ageing (AIBL) who had β-amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scans (n = 554) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans (n = 335) and had completed a Food Frequency Questionnaire at baseline.

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Objective: To examine separate and joint associations between pre-existing cardiometabolic comorbidities and all cause and cause specific mortality in adults with cancer.

Design: Multinational cohort study.

Setting: Seven European countries from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, 1 January 1992 to 31 December 2013.

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Background: Our knowledge of the importance of flavonoid-rich foods in preventing unhealthy aging across its different domains is limited.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine prospective associations between flavonoid-rich food and flavonoid intakes and indicators of unhealthy aging, namely frailty, impaired physical function, and poor mental health.

Methods: We followed up 62,743 females and 23,687 males, all aged ≥60 y, from the Nurses' Health Study (1990-2014) and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (2006-2018), respectively.

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Background: Although potatoes are considered a dietary staple in some cultures, evidence suggests that their impact on type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk is nuanced, with preparation methods and dietary patterns playing crucial roles. Investigating the substitution effects of replacing potatoes with other foods is required to inform dietary recommendations for lowering T2D risk.

Objective: The objective of this was to investigate associations between the substitution of potatoes (excluding fries/chips) with other food groups (vegetables, whole grains, refined grains, red meat, processed meat, poultry, fish, and dairy) and the risk of T2D.

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Objective: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is highly prevalent among people with diabetes. While identifying modifiable risk factors to prevent a decline in kidney function among those living with diabetes is pivotal, there is limited evidence on dietary risk factors for CKD. In this study, we examined the associations between healthy and less healthy plant-based diets (PBDs) and the risk of CKD among those with diabetes, and to identify potential underlying mechanisms.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study examined the effects of providing vascular imaging results on diet and cardiovascular disease risk factors in 240 participants aged 60-80 with abdominal aortic calcification.
  • Participants were randomly assigned to receive (intervention group) or not receive (control group) their calcification results while both groups received educational resources.
  • The results showed no significant changes in fruit and vegetable intake, but the intervention group had lower cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease risk scores after 12 weeks compared to the control group.
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Background: Mechanistic studies and short-term randomized trials suggest higher intakes of dietary flavonoids may protect against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Objectives: We aimed to perform the first population-based study with long-term follow-up on flavonoid consumption, incident NAFLD, and validated NAFLD biomarkers.

Methods: In a prospective study, we assessed the associations between flavonoid intake based on ≥2 24-h dietary assessments and NAFLD risk among 121,064 adults aged 40-69 y by multivariable Cox regression analyses.

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Background: Plant-rich dietary patterns may protect against negative health outcomes among individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), although aspects of plant-based diet quality have not been studied. This study aimed to examine associations between healthful and unhealthful plant-based dietary patterns with risk of all-cause mortality among CKD patients for the first time.

Methods: This prospective analysis included 4807 UK Biobank participants with CKD at baseline.

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  • A flavonoid-rich diet (flavodiet) may help lower the risk of dementia, offering a clear public health message about beneficial food choices.
  • Researchers studied the relationship between flavonoid intake, genetic risk factors, and health conditions like depression and hypertension in a large population sample.
  • Results indicated that higher flavonoid consumption significantly reduced dementia risk, particularly in individuals with genetic predispositions or depressive symptoms, with specific combinations of foods showing the most promise.
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  • The study investigates the role of dietary flavonoids in reducing atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular diseases by analyzing data from 5,599 participants in the MESA study.
  • Researchers examined the link between flavonoid intake and various subclinical markers of atherosclerosis, considering factors like time, sex, race/ethnicity, and smoking status.
  • Results showed that higher flavonoid intake was associated with significantly lower odds of having poorer ankle-brachial indices and carotid plaques, suggesting the potential protective effects of flavonoids on cardiovascular health.
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Introduction: Dietary nitrate is potentially beneficial for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and nervous systems due to its role as a nitric oxide (NO) precursor. Increased nitrate intake improves cardiovascular health and therefore could protect against dementia, given the cardiovascular-dementia link.

Objective: To investigate the association between source-dependent nitrate intake and dementia-related mortality.

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Background: Given their antioxidative stress, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulating effects, flavonoids are hypothesized to play a role in preventing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.

Objectives: This cohort study aimed to examine associations between flavonoid intake and COPD, asthma, and lung function.

Methods: Among 119,466 participants of the UK Biobank, median [interquartile range] age of 60 [53, 65] y, we estimated intakes of flavonoids, flavonoid-rich foods, and a flavodiet score from 24-h diet assessments.

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Background: Higher cruciferous vegetable intake is associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk in observational studies. The pathways involved remain uncertain. We aimed to determine whether cruciferous vegetable intake (active) lowers 24-h brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP; primary outcome) compared to root and squash vegetables (control) in Australian adults with mildly elevated BP (SBP 120-160 mmHg inclusive).

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Introduction: Nitrate and nitrite are naturally occurring in both plant- and animal-sourced foods, are used as additives in the processing of meat, and are found in water. There is growing evidence that they exhibit a spectrum of health effects, depending on the dietary source. The aim of the study was to examine source-dependent associations between dietary intakes of nitrate/nitrite and both all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the relationship between a diet high in flavonoid-rich foods and the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) using data from the UK Biobank, focusing on a "Flavodiet Score."
  • In a cohort of over 113,000 participants, a higher Flavodiet Score (about 6 servings of flavonoid-rich foods daily) was linked to a 26% reduced risk of developing T2D over 12 years.
  • Key food contributors, such as black or green tea, berries, and apples, showed significant associations with lower T2D risk, suggesting that increasing flavonoid intake could help reduce the likelihood of developing the disease.
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Context: The associations of vegetable and potato intakes with type 2 diabetes (T2D) appear to be nuanced, depending on vegetable types and preparation method, respectively.

Objective: We investigated the associations of total vegetable, vegetable subgroup, and potato intakes with (1) markers of T2D at baseline and (2) incident T2D cumulative over a 12-year follow-up period in Australian adults.

Methods: Using data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study, intakes of vegetables and potatoes were assessed via a food frequency questionnaire at baseline.

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Background: The dietary source and intake levels of nitrate and nitrite may govern its deleterious versus beneficial effects on human health. Existing evidence on detailed source-specific intake is limited. The objectives of this study were to assess nitrate and nitrite intakes from different dietary sources (plant-based foods, animal-based foods, and water), characterize the background diets of participants with low and high intakes, and investigate how sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associate with intake levels.

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