LB041 - CAN SUSTAINABLE DIETS BE NUTRITIONALLY ADEQUATE AND IMPROVE CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK FACTORS? RESULTS FROM A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

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LB041

CAN SUSTAINABLE DIETS BE NUTRITIONALLY ADEQUATE AND IMPROVE CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK FACTORS? RESULTS FROM A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

M. Lares-Michel1,*, F. E. Housni1, R. Vázquez-Solórzano1, Z. Reyes-Castillo1, L. C. Salaiza-Ambriz1, S. Ramírez-Guerrero1, N. Righini1, A. Rodríguez-Lara2, C. J. Patricio Contreras1, C. E. Arteaga-Flores3, A. G. Martín-Díaz1, J. R. Espinoza Villegas1, J. R. Huertas2

1Instituto de Investigaciones en Comportamiento Alimentario y Nutrición (IICAN), University of Guadalajara, Ciudad Guzmán, Mexico, 2Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology ‘José Mataix Verdú’, University of Granada, Granada, Spain, 3Facultad de Medicina y Nutrición, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali, Mexico

 

Rationale: Concerns remain that sustainable diets may compromise nutrient adequacy despite their potential health and environmental benefits. This study evaluated the effects of a digitally delivered sustainable dietary intervention on nutrient adequacy, cardiometabolic outcomes, and dietary environmental impact in young adults with dietary risk factors.

Methods: A 15-week randomized controlled trial was conducted in 100 Mexican adults aged 18–35 years with suboptimal dietary quality and unsustainable eating habits. Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention (n=50) or a control group (n=50). The intervention promoted a sustainable dietary pattern based on the traditional Mexican diet and EAT-Lancet recommendations through a mobile application incorporating behavior change strategies. Nutrient adequacy, cardiometabolic markers (including fasting glucose, lipid profile, triglyceride-glucose index, and triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol ratio), and dietary carbon and water footprints were assessed at baseline, week 8, and follow-up (week 15). Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models and post hoc comparison tests.

Results: Adequacy of energy, protein, sodium, dietary cholesterol, and saturated fat decreased significantly, bringing them closer to recommended levels (all p<0.001). Most macro- and micronutrients met or exceeded recommended intake levels throughout the intervention; only selenium adequacy declined significantly, reaching 63% adequacy at follow-up (p<0.001). Total cholesterol decreased by 19.5 mg/dL (p=0.002), while other cardiometabolic biomarkers remained within healthy ranges. Dietary carbon and water footprints decreased by 40% at follow-up (p<0.001).

Conclusion: Sustainable diets are a feasible strategy to support cardiometabolic and planetary health while maintaining nutritional adequacy in young adults.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared