Body Composition and Metabolic Status of Italian and Spanish University Students: Relationship with Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Abstract

Most university students do not follow recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake, with a consequent increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. The aim of this study was to compare obesity prevalence and biomarkers of metabolic status between Italian and Spanish university students, in relation with the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Food consumption, adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MD), level of physical activity (PA), blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and ketones, blood pressure, and body composition were evaluated. Among CVD risk factors, only glucose was significantly higher in Spaniards (SP), and only 3.1% of SP presented ketosis. SP had a higher percentage of energy from fat. Although adherence to MD and fruit and vegetable consumption did not differ between Italians and SP, students who consumed at least four servings of fruit and vegetables (FV group) showed better values for pressure and metabolic parameters than the no FV group. We observed an association between consumption of fruit and PA. Students who consumed more vegetables than fruit reported a better body composition profile and lower glucose concentrations. As previously suggested, in addition to PA, two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day should be recommended.

Keywords: Mediterranean diet; bioelectrical impedance analysis; body composition; metabolic status; physical activity; polyphenols.

Figure 1

(a) Level of physical activity in Italians and Spaniards according to International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ); (b) prevalence of subjects who consume fruit and vegetables in relation to physical activity level. PA: physical activity; no FV: no consumption of fruit and vegetables (0 point for subscores F-QueMD and V-QueMD); FV: daily consumption of at least four servings of fruit and vegetables (1 point for F-QueMD and V-QueMD); F-QueMD: daily intake of at least two servings of fruit (1 point for F-QueMD and 0 point for V-QueMD); V-QueMD: daily consumption of at least two servings of vegetables (1 point for V-QueMD and 0 point for F-QueMD). Different colors of circles, squares and crosses represent the single values that deviate from the mean for each group of physical activity level.

Figure 2

Prevalence of subjects with different intakes of fruit and vegetables in accordance with (a) blood pressure, (b) waist circumference, (c) body mass index, (d) plasma glucose, (e) triglycerides, and (f) cholesterol concentrations. no FV: no consumption of fruit and vegetables (0 point for subscores F-QueMD and V-QueMD); FV: daily consumption of at least four servings of fruit and vegetables (1 point for F-QueMD and V-QueMD); F-QueMD: daily intake of at least two servings of fruit (1 point for F-QueMD and 0 point for V-QueMD); V-QueMD: daily consumption of at least two servings of vegetables (1 point for V-QueMD and 0 point for F-QueMD); BP: blood pressure (high, systolic ≥130 mmHg); WC: waist circumference (gender cut off, ≥88 cm in women and ≥102 cm in men); BMI: body mass index; Glu: glucose; TG: triglycerides; CHOL: cholesterol.

Figure 3

Principal component analysis (PCA). (a) Component 1 (PC1) vs. Component 2 (PC2); (b) Component 1 (PC1) vs. Component 3 (PC3); (c) Component 1 (PC1) vs. Component 4 (PC4). Italians and Spaniards are represented by blue and red points, respectively. TG: triglycerides; COL: cholesterol; GLU: glucose; %MM: muscle mass percentage; SBP: systolic blood pressure; IPAQ high: IPAQ from high intensity activities according to International Physical Activity Questionnaire; F-QueMD: subscore of QueMD representing score 0–1 (1 point for at least two servings of fruit); V-QueMD: subscore of QueMD representing score 0–1 (1 point for at least two servings of vegetables); W: waist circumference; BMI: body mass index.