Bengt O. H. Vessby

• MD, PhD
• Uppsala University

Background: The effects of different dietary fatty acids (FA) on cardiovascular risk still needs clarification. Plasma lipids composition may be a biomarker of FA dietary intake. Purpose: To evaluate in a composite population the relationships between changes in dietary fat intake and changes in FA levels in serum cholesterol esters. Methods:...

Background: Fatty acid (FA) proportions in cholesterol esters (CEs) and plasma phospholipids are widely used as dietary biomarkers. Information on how proportions in these fractions correlate could have implications for interpretation and use of FA biomarkers in observational and interventional studies. Objective: We investigated correlations betwe...

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been associated with several health benefits. However, the effects on body weight (BW) and metabolic markers are not fully known. The present study investigated the effects of increased intake of fruits and vegetables in overweight and obese men and women on dietary habits, anthropometry and metabolic contro...

Many African diets are low in fat but are currently changing because of nutrition transition. We studied fat and fatty acid (FA) intake and the essential fatty acid (EFA) status of adolescent girls (aged 14-19 years, n 262) in Zambezia Province, central Mozambique. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a city as well as in the towns and rural...

Background: The fatty acid (FA) composition of serum lipids is related to the quality of dietary fat intake. Objective: To investigate the effects of a healthy Nordic diet (ND) on the FA composition of serum cholesterol esters (CE-FA) and assess the associations between changes in the serum CE-FA composition and blood lipoproteins during a contr...

Background Oxidative stress and inflammation are two key mechanisms suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3 FAs) found in fish and fish oil have several biological properties that may be beneficial in AD. However, they may also auto-oxidize and induce in vivo lipid peroxidation. Objective...

A high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) or a high ratio of MUFAs to saturated fatty acids in plasma, reflecting a high activity of the lipogenic enzyme stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1), has been shown to be related to cancer death and incidence in some studies. The objective was to study whether the serum cholesteryl ester proport...

Objective Little is known about the transfer of essential fatty acids (FAs) across the human blood–brain barrier (BBB) in adulthood. In this study we investigated whether oral supplementation with omega-3 (n-3) FAs would change the FA profile of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). MethodsA total of 33 patients (18 receiving the n-3 FA supplement and 15...

Background Little is known about the transfer of essential fatty acids (FA) across the human blood‐brain barrier (BBB) in adulthood. Objective Will oral supplementation for 6 mo with omega‐3 fatty acids (n‐3 FA), high in DHA, change the FA profile in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD)? Methods FA in CSF were analy...

Δ9-Desaturase (stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1, SCD-1) regulates the desaturation of SFA, mainly stearic and palmitic, to MUFA. Δ6-Desaturase (D6D) and Δ5-desaturase (D5D) are involved in the metabolism of linoleic and α-linolenic acid to polyunsaturated metabolites. The objective of the present study was to study the effects of different types of dietar...

Aim: In starvation, there is down-regulation of metabolism and changes in essential fatty acid (FA) status, which could be related to alterations of desaturase activities. Presently, the relationship between thyroid hormones and desaturase activities has been investigated in adolescents with eating disorders and weight loss. Methods: Serum triio...

Exposure to methylmercury from fish has been associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in some studies. At the same time, marine n-3 (omega-3) PUFAs are an inherent constituent of fish and are regarded as beneficial. To our knowledge, no risk-benefit model on the basis of data on methylmercury, PUFA, and MI risk has yet been pres...

A healthy Nordic diet (ND), a diet based on foods originating from the Nordic countries, improves blood lipid profile and insulin sensitivity and lowers blood pressure and body weight in hypercholesterolemic subjects. To describe and compare food and nutrient composition of the ND in relation to the intake of a Swedish reference population (SRP) an...

It is unknown if a specific fatty-acid composition influences the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nutrition is a possible target for prevention of dementia and especially omega-3-based fatty acids (n-3 FAs) have previously been suggested to be beneficial for cognition. The objective was to ascertain whether serum FAs predicts the risk of i...

Pentadecanoic acid (15:0) and heptadecanoic acid (17:0), the dairy-specific saturated fatty acids have been inversely, while inflammation and oxidative stress have been positively related to the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Both fatty acid metabolism and inflammation and oxidative stress may be influenced by adiposity. In the current cross...

To study the relationship between polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) status and depression in adolescents with eating disorders (ED) and weight loss. Erythrocyte membranes from 217 adolescents (209 girls, eight boys) with ED were analysed for fatty acids (FA). ED and depression were diagnosed by clinical interviews and supported by self-report inst...

Dietary advice, including modification of dietary fat quality, is the basis of treatment of diabetes, but there is some uncertainty about the optimal amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-6 (omega-6) and n-3 (omega-3) series. The objective was to compare the effects of diets rich in n-3 or n-6 fatty acids on glucose and lipoprotein metabol...

The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, which are present in fish, are protective against myocardial infarction. However, fish also contains methylmercury, which influences the risk of myocardial infarction, possibly by generating oxidative stress. Methylmercury is metabolized by conjugation to glutathion...

Rapeseed oil (RO), also known as canola oil, principally contains the unsaturated fatty acids 18:1n-9, 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3 and may promote cardiometabolic health. To investigate the effects on lipoprotein profile, factors of coagulation and insulin sensitivity of replacing a diet rich in saturated fat from dairy foods (DF diet) with a diet includin...

To explore the relationship between essential fatty acids (FA) and weight changes in adolescent girls with eating disorders (ED). Blood samples were obtained from 220 girls with ED and 39 healthy controls. The girls with ED were 15.3 ± 1.5 years of age and weighed 49.8 ± 8.7 kg (BMI 18.3 ± 2.8 kg/m(2)) after a weight loss of 6.8 ± 6.4 kg. FA were a...

Psychosocial factors are independently associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality, but the effects of psychosocial factor intervention on CVD are uncertain. We performed a randomized controlled clinical trial of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to measure its effects on CVD recurrence. The study include...

A beneficial role of fish consumption on the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) has been reported and is mostly ascribed to n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids. However, fish also contains methylmercury, which may increase the risk of MI. The objective was to determine how fish consumption and erythrocyte concentrations of mercury (Ery-Hg) and selenium (Ery-...

Two Amerindian populations--Shuar women living in the Amazonian rain forest under traditional conditions and urbanized women in a suburb of Lima were studied. The fatty acid composition in plasma lipids and the relationships between fatty acid composition and metabolic variables were studied, as well as in a reference group of Swedish women. Fastin...

Excessive energy intake and obesity lead to the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Dietary saturated fatty acids (SFAs) may be particularly detrimental on insulin sensitivity (SI) and on other components of the MetS. This study determined the relative efficacy of reducing dietary SFA, by isoenergetic alteration of the quality and quantity of dietary fat, o...

The present clinical trial examined the influence of a supplement, containing a combination of antioxidants extracted from fruit, berries and vegetables, on levels of plasma antioxidants (tocopherols, carotenoids and ascorbate), glycaemic control (blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin), oxidative stress biomarkers (F(2)-isoprostane, malondialdehyd, nitroty...

Alkylresorcinols (AR) in plasma samples have been suggested to be short- to medium-term biomarkers of whole grain wheat and rye intake. In the present study, we investigated whether AR are present in human adipose tissues, and if content correlated with long-term whole grain bread intake. Furthermore, we investigated if the relative AR homologue co...

the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a healthy Nordic diet (ND) on cardiovascular risk factors. in a randomized controlled trial (NORDIET) conducted in Sweden, 88 mildly hypercholesterolaemic subjects were randomly assigned to an ad libitum ND or control diet (subjects' usual Western diet) for 6 weeks. Participants in the ND grou...

Dietary fatty acids may affect insulin sensitivity. Adipose tissue fatty acid composition partly reflects long-term dietary intake, but data from large studies regarding relationships with insulin sensitivity are lacking. We aimed to determine the association between adipose tissue fatty acids and insulin sensitivity in elderly Swedish men. In a cr...

The effect of antioxidant supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress was investigated in a 6-week intervention study in 60 overweight men. The supplement contained a combination of antioxidants aiming to correspond to the antioxidant content found in a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. Placebo, single or double dose of antioxidants was prov...

Some epidemiologic studies have suggested inverse relations between intake of dairy products and components of the metabolic syndrome. The objective was to investigate the effects of an increased intake of dairy products in persons with a habitually low intake on body composition and factors related to the metabolic syndrome. Middle-aged overweight...

Fatty acid composition of serum lipids and adipose tissue triacylglycerols (AT-TAG) partly reflect dietary fatty acid intake. The fatty acid composition is, besides the diet, also influenced by desaturating enzymes that can be estimated using product-to-precursor fatty acid ratios. The interrelationships between desaturase indices derived from diff...

The aim of the present observational study was to investigate the relationships between glycaemic status and levels of oxidative stress and inflammation in well-controlled type 2 diabetes subjects. Metabolic variables (weight, BMI, waist circumference (waist), blood glucose, glycated Hb (HbA(1c)), insulin, blood lipids), biomarkers of oxidative str...

Background Dairy products are high in saturated fat and are traditionally a risk factor for vascular diseases. The fatty acids 15:0 and 17:0 of plasma lipids are biomarkers of milk fat intake. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the risk of a first-ever stroke in relation to the plasma milk fat biomarkers. Methods A prospective case-contr...

Baseline characteristics by gender and case-control status in subjects with plasma for fatty acid (FA) analysis. Describes of baseline characteristics of study participants in the present case-control study.

Alkylresorcinols (ARs), phenolic lipids almost exclusively present in the outer parts of wheat and rye grains in commonly consumed foods, have been proposed as specific dietary biomarkers of whole-grain wheat and rye intakes. The objective was to assess the dose response of plasma ARs and the excretion of 2 recently discovered AR metabolites in 24-...

ABSTRACT Hyperlipoproteinemia type V, with serum triglyceride concentrations of about 20 mmol/1, was detected in a pair of monozygotic, 40-year-old twin brothers. One of them had had recurrent attacks of pancreatitis, the other not. The endocrine and exocrine pancreatic functions were apparently normal, supporting that the pancreatitis was secondar...

To evaluate the validity of the Northern Sweden eighty-four-item FFQ to estimate intake of fatty acids relative to 24 h diet recalls (24-HDR) and fatty acids in erythrocyte membranes. Participants, randomly recruited from the population-based Västerbotten Intervention Project, answered the eighty-four-item FFQ. During the following year each partic...

To investigate the association of serum concentrations and dietary intake of beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol with type 2 diabetes incidence. Serum beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, lifestyle factors (BMI, physical activity and smoking) and metabolic factors (insulin sensitivity [homeostasis model assessment], acute insulin response and impaired f...

To study the effects of omega (Omega)-3 fatty acid (FA) supplements on weight and appetite in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) in relation to inflammatory biomarkers and apolipoprotein E epsilon4 (APOEepsilon4). Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Specialist memory clinics in the Stockholm catchment area. Two...

Desaturase indexes, as markers of endogenous fatty acid desaturation, and a characteristic serum fatty acid (FA) composition are related to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, but the relation to mortality is poorly investigated. The objective was to evaluate the relation between dietary fat biomarkers, desaturase indexes, and mortality. In this...

The activity index of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), a key enzyme in lipogenesis, was associated with increased risk of fracture in a longitudinal population-based cohort of men. This indicates that elevated levels of endogenous lipogenesis increase the risk of fracture and suggest a role for saturated fat in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Osteo...

Exposure to toxic methylmercury (MeHg) through fish consumption is a large problem worldwide, and it has led to governmental recommendations of reduced fish consumption and blacklisting of mercury-contaminated fish. The elimination kinetics of MeHg varies greatly among individuals. Knowledge about the reasons for such variation is of importance for...

Dietary fish or fish oil rich in n-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs), eg, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), ameliorate inflammatory reactions by various mechanisms. Whereas most studies have explored the effects of predominantly EPA-based n-3 FAs preparations, few have addressed the effects of n-3 FAs preparations with DHA as the ma...

The objective of this study was to describe the relation of serum fatty acids and desaturase activity (DA) to overweight, insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adolescents. The relations of % serum phospholipid (PL) and cholesteryl ester (CE) fatty acids and estimated DA with CVD risk factors were examined in 264 adol...

The protective effect of vitamin E supplements has been questioned, possibly because they often contain only alpha-tocopherol, and recent studies indicate that gamma-tocopherol also has important properties. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the levels of DNA lesions in middle-aged, overweight males could be reduced by consumption of...

Alkylresorcinols (ARs), phenolic lipids exclusively present in the outer parts of wheat and rye grains, have been proposed as specific dietary biomarkers of whole-grain wheat and rye intake. The objective was to validate plasma ARs as a biomarker of whole-grain wheat and rye intakes by studying the correlation between their plasma concentration and...

Lipoprotein-lipase activity was determined in tissue from the skeletal muscle of the leg and the subcutaneous adipose tissue of the abdomen in fourteen patients before and after 1 month of clofibrate administration. The concentrations of serum triglycerides decreased by, on the average, 37% in a group of thirteen patients which mainly consisted of...

Previous studies have demonstrated an inverse relationship between plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol and coronary heart disease risk. In the present study we investigated prospectively the effect of a moderate physical conditioning programme on plasma lipids and lipoproteins, especially HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I (apo A...

Direct measurement of desaturase activities are difficult to obtain in humans. Consequently, surrogate measures of desaturase activity (estimated desaturase activities) have been frequently used in observational studies, and estimated Delta(9)- (or stearoyl-CoA-desaturase (SCD)), Delta(6)- and Delta(5)-desaturase activities have been associated wit...

Fatty acid desaturases introduce double bonds into growing fatty acid chains. The key desaturases in humans are Delta5-desaturase (D5D), Delta6-desaturase (D6D) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD). Animal and human data implicate hepatic desaturase activities in insulin resistance, obesity and dyslipidaemia. However, the role of desaturase activity i...

Hepatic lipase (HL) catalyzes the hydrolysis of triglycerides and phospholipids from lipoproteins, and promotes the hepatic uptake of lipoproteins. A common G-250A polymorphism in the promoter of the hepatic lipase gene (LIPC) has been described. The aim was to study the effects of the G-250A polymorphism on HL activity, serum lipid profile and ins...

Endothelial function is considered important in the development of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Circulating advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and dietary components have been shown to affect endothelial function in type 2 diabetics, but determinants of endothelial function in a non-diabetic population are more poorly investigat...

Background Patients with type 2 diabetes have increased levels of oxidative stress and inflammation. A high fruit and vegetable intake may be beneficial. Objective To study whether fruit and vegetable intake and levels of plasma antioxidants relate to markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in a group of patients with type 2 diabetes. Further...

The respective roles of dietary fatty acids in the pathogenesis of diabetes are as yet unclear. Erythrocyte membrane fatty acid (EMFA) composition may provide an estimate of dietary fatty acid intake. This study investigates the relation between EMFA composition and development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. In a nested case-referent design we studie...

Results of previous studies on fish intake and stroke risk have been inconclusive. Different stroke types have often not been separated. Our aim was to elucidate whether intake of fish, Hg or the sum of proportions of fatty acids EPA (20 : 5n-3) and DHA (22 : 6n-3) influence the risk of haemorrhagic or ischaemic stroke. Within a population-based co...

Nutrition science aims to create new knowledge, but scientists rarely sit back to reflect on what nutrition research has achieved in recent decades. We report the outcome of a 1-day symposium at which the audience was asked to vote on the greatest discoveries in nutrition since 1976 and on the greatest challenges for the coming 30 years. Most of th...

To evaluate whether a moderate supplementation of long-chain n-3 fatty acids is able to modulate insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, beta-cell function and glucose tolerance in healthy individuals consuming a diet rich in either saturated or monounsaturated fat, also in relation to their habitual dietary intake of n-6 and n-3 fatty acid. One hu...

Obesity and insulin resistance are major risk factors for metabolic diseases and are influenced by lifestyle and genetics. The lipogenic enzyme, stearoyl-coenzyme A-desaturase (SCD), is related to obesity. Further, SCD1-deficent mice are protected against obesity and insulin resistance. We hypothesized that genetic polymorphisms in the SCD1 gene wo...

Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) is a valid index of atherosclerosis, which is viewed as an inflammatory disease. It is unknown if various modes of inflammation (cyclooxygenase [COX]-mediated, cytokine-mediated), oxidative stress and anti-oxidants are independently related to CCA-IMT. We investigated cross-sectional relations...

Data from previous studies are inconsistent, and it is therefore uncertain whether, to what extent, and at what level leisure physical activity influences the risk of osteoporotic fractures in men. A cohort of 2,205 men, 49-51 y of age, was enrolled in a longitudinal, population-based study. Leisure physical activity and other lifestyle habits were...

High intakes of whole grain foods are inversely related to the incidence of coronary heart diseases and type 2 diabetes, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of a diet rich in whole grains compared with a diet containing the same amount of refined grains on insulin sensitivity and markers of lipid peroxidation...

The major lignan in the unsaponifiable fraction of sesame lipids, sesamin, is known to affect lipid metabolism. For example, sesamin inhibits the clearance of tocopherols, the activity of Delta 5-desaturase during fatty acid metabolism, and reduces cholesterol absorption and biosynthesis. In order to study whether dietary phytosterols, which are kn...

The impact of lipometabolic and glucometabolic disturbances on stroke incidence remains to be characterized in detail. We investigated relations of a comprehensive panel of baseline lipometabolic and glucometabolic variables to incident fatal and nonfatal stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), and stroke subtypes. A community-based prospective...

To identify dietary phenolic compounds capable of improving vitamin E status, male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed for 4 weeks either a basal diet (control) with 2 g/kg cholesterol and an adequate content of vitamin E or the basal diet fortified with quercetin (Q), (-)-epicatechin (EC), or (+)-catechin (C) at concentrations of 2 g/kg. All three catech...

Proteins involved in cellular fatty acid (FA) uptake and metabolism may be of relevance in the context of disturbed FA metabolism associated with insulin resistance. Therefore this study investigated relationships between FA handling protein mRNA expression in adipose tissue, FA composition of adipose tissue and serum, and markers of insulin resist...

Background : Immigrants in general seem to be more vulnerable than the host populations to developing nutrition-related chronic conditions. This may be in part related to diverging dietary habits. Objective : The aim of the study was to examine the nutrient intake and its relationship to metabolic variables among immigrant versus native Swedish wom...

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most widespread diseases in the world, high glucose can damage islet cells, it is important to discover new natural products to inhibit high glucose damage. The protective effects and mechanisms of a novel Lentinus edodes mycelia polysaccharide (LMP) against damage induced by high glucose in MIN6 cells we...

Diabetes mellitus has reached epidemic proportions in women of Amerindian origin. The risk of developing diabetes has been found to be related to the serum fatty acid composition in whites. We prospectively investigated the relation between the serum cholesteryl fatty acid composition and changes in fasting plasma glucose concentrations in Peruvian...

Alkylresorcinols (ARs) are phenolic lipids present in whole grain and bran of wheat and rye. Chemically, they comprise 1,3- dihydroxy-5-alkylbenzene homologs with odd-numbered, mainly saturated hydrocarbon side chains in the range of 17-25 carbon atoms. ARs are evaluated both for physiological effects and for their potential use as biomarkers of wh...

Epidemiologic and animal studies have suggested that dietary fish or fish oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids, for example, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, may prevent Alzheimer disease (AD). To determine effects of dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on cognitive functions in patients with mild to moderate AD. Randomized, double...

To evaluate the metabolic effect of three different kinds of dietary proteins as part of composite meals with similar macronutrient composition in healthy subjects. A randomised meal study. Metabolic ward. In total, 17 healthy women, 30-65 years old, consumed three meals in randomised order. The meals consisted of foodstuffs with similar nutrient c...

An important question is whether human serum levels of persistent organic pollutants has continued to decrease during the last decades. The aim of this study was to assess intra-individual variations over time of serum levels of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153), 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-ethene (p,p'-DDE) and hexachlorobenzene...

Background: A specific fatty acid (FA) composition in plasma lipid esters is related to the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and may influence the development of the MetS. Objective: The objective was to define and study FA factors as measures of dietary fat quality and endogenous FA metabolism in relation to MetS. Design: Principal factor analysis was pe...

A specific fatty acid (FA) composition in plasma lipid esters is related to the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and may influence the development of the MetS. The objective was to define and study FA factors as measures of dietary fat quality and endogenous FA metabolism in relation to MetS. Principal factor analysis was performed to define specific FA f...

Background : High intake of foods rich in antioxidants is associated with a reduced risk of several diseases, including coronary heart disease and some cancers. Objective : To study associations between dietary antioxidants and antioxidant-rich food items and antioxidant capacity (AOC), as well as lipid peroxidation in vivo. Design : A total of 86...

Background: High intake of foods rich in antioxidants is associated with a reduced risk of several diseases, including coronary heart disease and some cancers. Objective: To study associations between dietary antioxidants and antioxidant-rich food items and antioxidant capacity (AOC), as well as lipid peroxidation in vivo. Design: A total of 86 men...

(n-3) Fatty acids are unsaturated and are therefore easily subject to oxidization; however, they have several beneficial health effects, which include protection against cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether (n-3) fatty acids, with a controlled fat quality in the background diet, affect nonenzymatic and enzymatic...

Increased levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, as seen in response to exercise, challenge the cellular integrity. Important protective adaptive changes include induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs). We hypothesized that supplementation with antioxidant vitamins C (ascorbic acid) and E (tocopherol) would attenuate the exercise-induced i...

It is known that the fatty acid (FA) composition in serum cholesteryl esters to a certain extent mirrors not only the FA composition of dietary fat, but also the endogenous FA synthesis, where desaturases play an important part. A surrogate measure of delta9-, delta6- and delta5-desaturase activity can be calculated as a [product:precursor] fatty a...

The quantity and quality of fats consumed in the diet influence the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although the effect of diet on plasma lipids and lipoproteins is well documented, less information exists on the role of fats on blood pressure (BP). The objective was to evaluate the effects of different types of dietary fat on BP in healthy s...

Although assays of plasma antioxidant capacity encompass interactions between various antioxidants, uric acid concentration can exert a predominant effect on results. Therefore, individual differences in uric acid concentration may explain a many of the differences in antioxidant capacity. The objective of this study was to measure the antioxidant...