title: Nutrition and Ageing.
abstract: The world elderly population is rapidly increasing. This demographic change represents a new challenge for the society and demands for a multisectorial intervention to promote a long, healthy, and active life span. Between the factors that contribute in fostering a long healthy life, the nutritional regime plays a central role and is recognized as a major factor in the onset of chronic diseases. A better understanding of the interaction between nutrition and ageing is essential to unravel the mechanisms responsible for these positive/negative effects and to identify diet components promoting the quality of life in the old age and to contribute to the prevention of late-life disabilities. At Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, the research activity in food science is focusing on four main objectives: food quality, food safety, functional foods and diet balancing. These objectives are the target of multidisciplinary ongoing and future research activities for a better understanding of the link between diet and ageing. Briefly, the different activities are addressed to the study of the following subjects: the most relevant factors affecting food choices and habits of old aged persons; the effects of long term low dose supplementation of conjugated linoleic acid in mouse; the use of low glycemic index and high resistant starch foods to prevent diabetes and obesity; the adjuvant effect of food bacteria for vaccination; the role of food ingredients in disease; the immunosuppression effect of mycotoxins, and its relevance in ageing people; the production of sustainable and natural antioxidant ingredients to encourage a healthy diet. Our research projects emphasize an holistic and integrated approach that, by bringing together complementary research groups, can combine the collective expertise and thus provide a comprehensive assessment of the role of nutrition in healthy ageing people.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Minuti
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
authors.forename: Vania
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patrone
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giuberti
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spigno
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
authors.forename: Amedeo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pietri
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Battilani
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ajmone Marsan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008954:Models, Biological; D009752:Nutritional Status