MED4Youth awarded

The MED4Youth project (Mediterranean Enriched Diet for tackling Youth Obesity), coordinated by Eurecat, has been recognised with the 1st secondary award in the category “Healthy Nutrition in the Family and Community” of the XV Edition of the NAOS Strategy Awards.

The NAOS Strategy aims to reverse the trend of the prevalence of obesity by promoting a healthy diet and the practice of physical activity, and it is s promoted by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) of the Spanish Ministry of  Consumer Affairs. Annually it acknowledges the most important contributions of projects, institutions and professionals researching and working in the field of nutrition, healthy food and promotion of physical activity and sport. This edition received a total of 46 applications for each of the different categories, of which 25 were selected as finalists to be evaluated by a jury of experts.

About MED4Youth

The MED4Youth project is conducting a European-level clinical study with adolescents to demonstrate that a Mediterranean diet, including sourdough bread and healthy products from the Mediterranean basis (chickpeas/humus, nuts and pomegranate juice), is more effective in tackling youth obesity and associated cardiovascular disease risk factors. Both dietary interventions are combined with an educational web-application addressed to engage the adolescents and their parents through a learning-through-playing approach, using both educational materials and games.

Within the study, project’s researchers and nutritionists, also examine the changes in the intestinal microbiota as well as in gut-derived metabolites produced by the dietary interventions in order to gain knowledge about the mechanisms through with the Mediterranean Diet exerts its health effects.

The research study is taking place simultaneously with adolescents from Spain, Italy and Portugal, and is being conducted by Eurecat’s Biotechnology Area (Spain), the University of Parma (Italy) and the University of Coimbra (Portugal).  The Med4youth consortium is also constituted by Scientific Food Center from Jordan, and two small and medium enterprises, NOVAPAN S.L. from Spain, which manufacture and distribute the sourdough bread and Shikma Field Crops from Israel, providing chickpeas, hummus and pomegranate juice.

Are you interested in the study, or do you want to participate in it?