Editorial: Molecular nutrition as preventive tool in non-communicable diseases: Mechanistic insights and risk biomarkers

Nutrition has a crucial role in modulating aging trajectories. Diet is not a mere source of energy, but it also affects immune functions, inflammatory status, epigenetic regulations, and gene expression. Also, diet affect the gut microbiome composition, thus modulating the metabolites produced by the microorganisms, which can have both positive and negative effects on health. Due to their action at the level of several biochemical and molecular pathways, dietary habits have a major role in the development and progression of complex non-communicable diseases (NCD) (e.g., obesity, cardio-metabolic disorders, neurodegeneration), which represent a major burden for the modern society. A plethora of bioactive compounds, nutrients and dietary patterns have been described as potential discriminants of the health status. Some metabolites have been also proposed as risk biomarkers for non-communicable diseases (e.g., trimethylamine n-oxide), thus opening interesting possibilities for prevention interventions and population risk stratification. Nevertheless, elucidating the exact molecular mechanism underpinning the effects of each dietary factor remains an ambitious goal of modern nutrition. This special issue aims at gathering new findings that might contribute to fill the gaps in this still marginally explored area.