We congratulate Sebastian Åberg who successfully defended his doctoral thesis on November 8, 2024, in Gothenburg

We congratulate Sebastian Åberg from the Department of Food Science at Chalmers University of Technology, who successfully defended his doctoral thesis titled “Metabolic Effects of Whole Grains: Emphasis on Glycemic Control, Appetite, and Body Weight” on November 8, 2024, in Gothenburg. The opponent was Professor Ursula Schwab from the Department of Public Health, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.

In his thesis, Sebastian explored how the consumption of whole grains, particularly rye, affects metabolism, appetite control, and body weight in individuals at increased cardiometabolic disease risk. His studies indicate that for individuals with diabetes, consuming coarsely milled rather than finely milled grain-based foods can improve blood glucose control. The findings also show that self-reported satiety can be reliably measured at home; however, greater satiety was not associated with weight loss. Weight reduction was observed after both wholegrain rye and refined wheat diets, although inflammation markers in blood decreased following the rye diet. Weight loss was also shown to depend on individuals’ glucose metabolism. Additionally, the studies reinforce previous research, showing that whole grains benefit gut health: when gut bacteria work to break down whole-grain fibers, they produce compounds linked to reductions in risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease in other studies.

For more information on the thesis, visit Metabolic Effects of Whole Grains: Emphasis on Glycemic control, Appetite, and Body Weight.

We congratulate Sebastian on his successful defense and wish him all the best in his future career.