Einar Smith is being awarded the Swedish Savings Bank Foundation scholarship for best thesis at the Faculty of Medicine. His research has also resulted in a published article in BMJ Heart. Photo: Tove Gilvad
Scientific evidence concerning dietary advice health and varies. In order to examine the link between diet and disease, Einar Smith, together with his research colleagues, studied the smaller components of dietary intake. By measuring metabolites in the blood it is possible to discover a link between certain molecules and a healthy diet.
“We found several metabolites that are linked to a health-conscious diet, which simultaneously appear to have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease and premature death. The metabolite ergothioneine appears to have an especially beneficial effect on our health”, explains Einar Smith, researcher and medical student at Lund University.
Analyses of material from Malmö Diet Cancer
The researchers have had access to data and biological material from the cohort study Malmö Diet Cancer (MKC). Of the approximately 28,000 participants from MKC, 3,236 subjects were included who in the beginning of the investigation did not suffer from diabetes, stroke and myocardial infarction.
With the help of mass spectrometry the researchers were able to do analyses of the, on average, 21-year old blood samples that had been collected from the research subjects. They discovered five metabolites linked to a healthy diet and one linked to an unhealthy diet.
Of the total 3,236 research subjects, 316 had suffered a myocardial infarction, 271 had suffered a stroke and 362 and developed diabetes. 843 research subjects had not survived and out of these subjects, 229 had died from cardiovascular disease. Concentrations of four metabolites linked to a healthy diet showed a definite link to a reduced risk of stroke, myocardial infarction and premature death.
“The results show ergothioneine protects against myocardial infarction, premature death and dying from cardiovascular disease, and the metabolite proline betaine protects against myocardial infarction. Even though we are not able to prove causality, there is an increased likelihood that these two substances have a beneficial effect on our health since they appear to act as protectors regardless of other risk factors.”
Study is part of thesis
The published study is the first one of its kind that demonstrates that there is a link between ergothioneine, cardiovascular disease and premature death, and is a part of Einar Smith’s current work on this thesis.
“Our study clarifies the underlying mechanisms related to how our diet affects our health. But in order to test out the protective effects and examine whether the risk of cardiovascular disease decreases, one needs to conduct more studies where one uses ergothioneine as an addition.”
With increased knowledge about how diet affects the body on a molecular level, Einar Smith believes that in the future there will be great potential for development in precision medicine, such as being able to provide individual dietary advice based on a person’s blood samples.
Thesis award for the study
Einar Smith will be completing his studies in the medical programme in January 2020 and will begin his medical research internship at Skåne University Hospital in Malmö.
A jury from the committee for the medical programme at the Faculty of Medicine awarded Einar Smith the Swedish Savings Bank Foundation scholarship, which is 25,000.00 SEK, for his master’s thesis, motivating their selection by saying among other things: “The jury feels that the thesis displays high academic quality and clinical relevance.”
“Receiving scholarships such as this one and other scholarship will enable me to conduct research in parallel with my medical studies, says Einar Smith.
The study in BMJ Heart is funded by among others the Swedish Research Council, the Heart and Lung Foundation, Region Skåne and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.