Influence of vegetarian diet in nutritional and biochemical patterns and plasmatic BDNF expression in the São Paulo adult population

• Grant number: 13/11057-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2014
• End date: February 29, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition
• Principal Investigator: Sonia Tucunduva Philippi
• Grantee: Sonia Tucunduva Philippi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Carolina Vieira de Mello Barros Pimentel ; Elizabeth Teodorov

Abstract

It was suggested that the vegetarian diets could have positive health effects, due to the reduction on the risk for Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases. This can positively modulate the biochemical patterns, mainly those related to blood glucose and lipids control, as well as to control body weight. Studies in adults have also shown that the diet can modulate molecular patterns. In this scenario, it seems that the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) has a role in the vegetarian diet regarding the reduction of triacylglycerol and cholesterol and, increase the insulin sensitivity. So, the aim of this project is to assess adults from the city of São Paulo who adopted a vegetarian diet, regarding their nutritional, biochemical and molecular patterns and compare to adults in omnivorous diet. The design will be a cross sectional study composed by 116 individuals of both sexes, with 2 groups according to their adoption to vegetarian or non-vegetarian diets. It will be assessed the vegetarian diet adoption, as well as blood plasma for the biochemical analyses and the BDNF plasma expression. The data analyses will be conducted by the SPSS software (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 13 with differences considered statistically significant at Pd0.05. (AU)