On-site PhD conferral Elske Gravesteijn

Keywords: metabolism, vascular function, cognition, diet

"Metabolic health, vascular function and cognition: The effects of diet"

The metabolic syndrome is a collection of health problems related to obesity, elevated blood pressure, blood sugar and blood fat levels. It increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cognitive decline. This major health impact can be influenced by lifestyle. Nutrition is a cornerstone in maintaining metabolic, vascular and cognitive health. The research in this dissertation focused on the effects of nutrition on metabolic health, vascular function and cognition in people with the metabolic syndrome, or one of the related health complaints. For this, subjects consumed a handful of almonds per day and after five months different methods were used to assess whether blood sugar was improved. In addition to almonds, other dietary components were examined. The associations between metabolic health, vascular function and cognition were also analyzed. Thanks to these studies, this dissertation can provide input for lifestyle changes that contribute to health.

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