Updated 01/04/2026
(english description)
The Human Nutrition Unit (HNU) is a highly productive, interdisciplinary, and dynamic team with extensive experience and autonomy in conducting epidemiological studies, clinical trials, and basic research. The group focuses on evaluating the effects of dietary patterns or dietary compounds on obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), metabolic syndrome (MetS), cardiovascular diseases (CVD), cognition, depression and male fertility. We also investigate how dietary components and functional foods influence energy balance, lipid profile, inflammation, oxidative stress, and glucose metabolism, as well as the role of dietary patterns in the primary prevention of CVD and diabetes. In addition to classical epidemiology, the HRU applies omics sciences (including genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, metagenomics, and proteomics) to assess the effect of diet on metabolism, health and disease and using the innovative approach to tailoring disease prevention and treatment using personalized medicine.
HNU collaborates with renowned Spanish and international universities and research Institutes, reflecting our commitment to the internationalization of Spanish research. drawing on strengths, leadership capability, and competence in technical and soft skills to effectively communicate and nurture sustainable partnerships with external organizations. The incorporation of expert multicultural researchers in different disciplines (medical doctors, dietitians, biologists, biotechnologists, food technologists, and psychologists), has provided the group with several skills related not only to the development and implementation of large clinical trials and cohort studies, but also with the capability of obtaining quantitative data; knowledge of data analysis techniques; ability to network and create contacts; creative ability, originality and innovation, and the ability to improvise and find ways to overcome any difficulties. These capabilities also support the group's strong track record in securing public and private funding and producing high-impact publications.
The HNU's research facilities and equipment are primarily based at Rovira i Virgili University, with links to the Endocrinology, Nutrition and Obesity Unit at Sant Joan de Reus University Hospital, enabling integration of research and clinical care. The group is also affiliated with the Institute for Biomedical Research of Southern Catalonia (IRB-CatSud), the CIBERobn Network - Instituto de Salud Carlos III that includes 23 state research groups in relation to Nutrition and Obesity, and the Catalan Nutrition Center of the Institute of Catalan Studies (CCNIEC), a research network center that brings together 27 research groups from Catalonia in relation to food and nutrition. These affiliations provide HNU extended access to their infrastructure and services.
HNU is recognized as a consolidated group at regional (Generalitat de Catalunya in 2009), national (Instituto de Salud Carlos III in 2013) and International (European Association for the Study of Obesity in 2014) levels.
In recent years, the group has led large clinical trials for the primary prevention of CVD (PREDIMED and PREDIMED-Plus), as well as other clinical trials (SATIN, PREDIGEN, EFINUT, EPIRDEM, FERTINUTS) and observational studies (CORALS, Led-Fertyl and NUTPOOL).
The PREDIMED study, http://www.predimed.es, is a large multi-center parallel clinical trial conducted in 7,447 participants at high CVD risk aiming to assess the effect of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with virgin olive oil or nuts in the context of primary prevention of CVD). PREDIMED which began in 2003 and was completed in 2009, demonstrated the beneficial effects of MedDiet on the incidence of CVD, T2D and other related outcomes. In this trial, our group has particularly focused on the study of inflammation, kidney function, T2D and its complications, and metabolic syndrome (MetS). PREDIMED has changed the current dietary recommendations for CVD and T2D worldwide, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. With the availability of a huge database, the HNU will continue to explore several hypotheses related to its research interests in the future. Currently, with the biological samples obtained from this study, several analyses have been conducted using different omics platforms (e.g., transcriptomics, genomics, metabolomics). These projects have been conducted in collaboration with the PREDIMED consortium and several other research groups, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Fundació Marató TV3, Fundación Ramon Areces, and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
PREDIMED (7,447 participants, 2003-2009) was a large, multicenter, parallel clinical trial in participants at high CVD risk, designed to assess the effect of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with virgin olive oil or nuts on primary prevention of CVD. The study demonstrated the benefits of a Mediterranean diet on the incidence of CVD, T2D, and related outcomes. HNU's contributions focused on inflammation, kidney function, T2D and its complications, and MetS. PREDIMED has influenced current dietary recommendations worldwide, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The extensive dataset and biological samples collected continue to support multiple omics analyses (transcriptomics, genomics, metabolomics) in collaboration with the PREDIMED consortium and other research groups, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Fundació Marató TV3, Fundación Ramón Areces, and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
With the completion of PREDIMED, HNU initiated PREDIMED-Plus in 2014, a multicenter RCT evaluating a six-year lifestyle modification program for weight loss. PREDIMED-Plus, represents a major milestone in Spanish nutrition research, examining the effects of an energy-restricted Mediterranean diet and physical activity on: 1) CVD incidence and mortality; 2) weight loss; 3) incidence of other chronic diseases; and 4) changes in CVD risk factors and intermediate outcomes. Recruitment (n=6,874) was completed in 2016, with extensive data and biological samples (plasma, serum, DNA, urine, stools) collected for future analyses. As the coordinating center for 23 research groups and six laboratory centers, HNU has secured multiple national, European, and North American grants. These projects have strengthened the group's expertise in precision medicine and omics applications, which are now routinely applied in epidemiologic and clinical studies.
Another key objective related to PREDIMED and PREDIMED-Plus is predicting T2D, chronic kidney disease (CKD), CVD, and cognitive decline using metabolomic profiling, metagenomics, and genetic polymorphisms. Close collaboration with international research groups allows validation of findings in cohorts such as the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, Nurses' Health Study, MESA, DPP, and EPIC. Over the past five years, HNU has identified metabolites, genetic polymorphisms, and pathways linked to CVD, diabetes, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and peripheral artery disease, and has investigated the mediating effects of interventions on these outcomes. We have also tested the mediating effect of the interventions on CVD, diabetes, heart failure or atrial fibrillation risk on genetic and plasma metabolome variations. Recent work has examined intervention effects on impulsivity, compulsivity, cognition, depression, gut microbiota, metabolomics, and proteomics, as well as body composition and diabetes incidence. These studies were supported by two National grants (two from the ISCII) and 3 European grants as Co-investigators (Eat2BeNice, STOP, and PRIME), and a Canadian grant PI from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Moreover, with a project granted by the Fundación Francisco Soria Melguizo, we study the risk factors for COVID-19 infection and their impact on quality of life, mood and cognitive function in PREDIMED-Plus participants..
Our group has participated in different NIH-funded projects in collaboration with Navarra University, Harvard University, Broad Institute, and other groups belonging to the PREDIMED study. Prof. Salas-Salvadó has been co-PI of 5 NIH projects: 1) Dietary Interventions, Metabolites, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes; 2014-2018), 2) Circulating plasma metabolites, diet, and risk of type 2 diabetes; 2018-2021), 3) Lifestyle Interventions, Metabolites, Microbiome, and Diabetes Risk; 2020-2023), and co-investigator of the project Mediterranean diet, Metabolites, and cardiovascular disease; 2013-2021 and 2022-2026). Research on those projects has explored the association between specific metabolites related to key pathways such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, lysine, arginine, tryptophan, glutamate, branched chain/aromatic amino acids, choline, acylcarnitines, ceramides, lipidomic profile, and T2D and/or CVD. Publications have identified metabolites associated with the Mediterranean diet pattern and other dietary indices as a whole, and also certain key food groups defining the Mediterranean diet, such as red wine, coffee, protein, walnuts, nuts, and dairy products. In 2024, the group as Co-PI, received another USA-NIH research grant entitled: The Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis and Personalized Mediterranean Diet Interventions for Alzheimer's Dementia Prevention conducted in 650 PREDIMED-Plus participants using metagenomics, metabolomics and transcriptomics techniques in collaboration with different USA institutions.
In collaboration with the University of Toronto, the HNU is participating to a novel and transformative research paradigm via the multicenter CHEAP trial funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to study the use of technology in improving personal, public, and planetary health. Also in collaboration with the University of Toronto and as co-applicants we are participating in two other projects granted by Diabetes Canada, CIHR (REPAIR trial).
CORALS, is a multicentric, 10-year follow-up large (n=1500) observational prospective pediatric cohort study that allows us to explore the association between lifestyle and other determinants of adiposity, cognition, and CVD risk factors. This observational ongoing study started six years ago and we are collecting a large amount of information and biological samples. CORALS contributes to the European Zero_HiddenHunger_EU project (Tackling micronutrient malnutrition and hidden hunger to improve health in the EU), while additional national projects explore lipidomics, metagenomics, and endocrine disruptors.
Our research group has been recently granted by another European project in relation to diet and mental health (NUTRIMIND) using data from CORALS and PREDIMED-Plus. In the last years we analyzed the association between diet and metagenomic profiles, as well as the role of gut microbiota in mediating the relationship between diet and depression or cognition.
Another subject of interest of the group is male infertility, an important public health problem in the last few decades. In particular, we have been interested in the effect of obesity, food, and food patterns on semen quality. FERTINUTS was an international randomized clinical trial conducted by our group to assess the effects of chronic nut consumption on semen quality and functionality in a cohort of healthy males and described several potential mechanisms. Recently, we have started a cross-sectional cohort study (LED-FERTYL; https://ledfertyl.eu/) to explore the potential lifestyle and environmental determinants of male fertility that has been expanded to other investigators´ groups (Poland, Spain, and the UK).
Another subject of interest of the group is male infertility, an important public health problem in the last few decades. In particular, we have been interested in the effect of obesity, food, and food patterns on semen quality. FERTINUTS was an international randomized clinical trial conducted by our group to assess the effects of chronic nut consumption on semen quality and functionality in a cohort of healthy males and described several potential mechanisms. Recently, we have started a cross-sectional cohort study (LED-FERTYL) to explore the potential lifestyle and environmental determinants of male fertility that has been expanded to other investigators´ groups (Poland, Spain, and the UK). Now, the MEDFERTYL trial granted with a FIS national grant is evaluating the effect of Mediterranean diet on semen quality and different fertility endpoints.
Our group is also very interested in analyzing the beneficial effects of fat-rich food on several outcomes. Using epidemiological approaches and clinical trials (EFINUT, EPIRDEM), we explored the effect of the consumption of nuts on several intermediate outcomes using our developed and acquired methodological techniques in collaboration with national and international (India and USA) research groups. Recently, we have begun work on the NUTPOOL International project, as Co-PI in close collaboration with the University of Copenhagen (PI) that aims to analyze the association between nut consumption and several chronic disease outcomes using data from different cohorts around the world including >1.000.000 of participants (granted by the International Nut and Dried Fruit Foundation). Recently we have been granted by the Almond Board of California and Peanut Institute (In collaboration with Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and Harvard University) to participate in two trials.
THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH GROUP:
Prof. J. Salas-Salvadó Directs HNU, coordinates PREDIMED-Plus study, Co-leads NUTPOOL, is member of the steering committee of PREDIMED, and chairs the URV Chair in Nuts, and serves as CIBERobn PI and nutrition program coordinator. He has extensive experience in studying the relationship between food, food components or dietary food patterns in obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors. A medical doctor by training, he has been both a successful leader and collaborator in several large nutritional and pharmacological trials for the management of obesity. His research in recent years has also focused on the modulation of circulating metabolome, microbiome, proteome and several epigenetic tags including microRNAs and their potential role in obesity. Prof. N. Babio, Co-PI of the HNU, is a dietitian-nutritionist and has participated in most of the clinical trials that have been conducted in our unit. Dr. Babio currently leads the CORALS and Led-Fertyl studies and has large experience in omic's sciences, epidemiology and endocrine disruptors. Dr. JF. García-Gavilan is an epidemiologist specializing in nutritional epidemiology, data science and metabolomics and is the PREDIMED-Plus project manager. Dr. SK. Nishi is a postdoctoral researcher from Canada and is a dietitian and expert in conducting clinical trials, epidemiology, and meta-analyses assessing the impact of diet and dietary factors on cardiometabolic and cognitive health that now is located at the Toronto Metropolitan University. Dr. I. Paz-Graniel is a postdoctoral researcher and nutritionist with extensive epidemiological research experience in the field of dietary factors, especially the area of beverages, and cardiometabolic and mental health as well as metabolomics and proteomics applied to cognition and cardiovascular disease. Dr. S. Shyam is a senior postdoctoral researcher with expertise in conducting and reporting nutrition trials, epidemiology and focused on biodiversity. She has 9 years of teaching experience at the International Medical University in Malaysia prior to joining the HNU team. Dr. JR Plaza-Diaz is a pharmacist who has developed a research career focused on nutrition, microbiology, and human health, with particular emphasis on the gut microbiota, functional foods, and the biological mechanisms linking diet to disease prevention, integrating experimental, translative, and clinical perspectives. Dr. H Vázquez-Lorente is an epidemiologist postdoctoral researcher interested in body composition, sarcopenia, metabolism, cognition and vitamin D. Dr. L. Iglesias-Vazquez is a postdoctoral researcher with a focus on nutritional epidemiology, the exposome, and child health. Dr. N. Khoury is a post-doctoral researcher, focusing on nutritional epidemiology and the human exposome. Dr J. Ni is a postdoctoral researcher specializing in nutritional epidemiology, cognitive health, and gut microbiome research, with advanced expertise in microbiome and multi-omics analysis, statistics, and leveraging large cohorts to study diet-microbiota-cognition relationships in ageing populations.
Together, the Human Nutrition Unit possesses exceptional expertise in basic and clinical research, ensuring the translational relevance of its scientific output..
Updated 01/04/2026