BARITONE-study
How do our eating habits affect our health? BARITONE is a study in which we are investigating new ways to measure what we eat. Please note: Recruitment for the study has ended.
About the BARITONE study
The long-term aim of the BARITONE study is to understand how our dietary habits affect our health. By identifying biological traces in blood, urine and other samples—known as biomarkers—we aim to determine what people actually eat, including protein from different food sources as well as fruit, berries and vegetables. Using these data, we want to investigate how dietary habits affect the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and mortality, among other outcomes, and ultimately improve dietary guidance for different groups in society.
Aim
To identify biological traces in blood, urine and other samples (biomarkers) that reflect how much meat, fish or plant-based protein and how much fruit, berries and vegetables a person has consumed.
How is the study conducted?
The research comprises a cross-sectional study, in which data on participants’ habitual dietary intake, health and biological samples are collected at the screening visit, and an intervention study in which participants followed different diets for a total of three weeks. The participants are healthy adults aged 18–65. During the intervention study, they followed a meat-based diet for one week, a fish-based diet for one week and a vegetarian diet for one week. The order of the three diets was randomised for each participant. All food was provided during these weeks, and participants followed a set menu. Samples were collected before and after each dietary period, and participants kept a food diary between the dietary periods.
Participants abstained from nicotine products and alcohol during the three intervention weeks.
Data collected during the BARITONE study:
- Seven-day food diaries: one at screening and two additional diaries between the dietary periods.
- Blood and urine samples at screening and before and after each dietary period.
- Questionnaires on dietary habits, physical activity levels and other factors at screening.
- Weight at all visits, and height and body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) at screening.
Current status
In spring 2026, processing of the screening food diaries began, and nutrient intakes were calculated using Dietist.net. Samples from the intervention study will be analysed by LC–MS in 2026–2027 for metabolomics analyses. Links to the study results will be provided here once they have been published.
Study team
Study coordinator Helen Lindqvist and principal investigator Anna Winkvist. The BARITONE study is conducted at the Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg.
Contact
For further information, please contact:
Study coordinator Associate Professor Helen Lindqvist
Tel. +46 (0)31 786 37 23
Email: baritone@gu.se
Principal investigator Professor Anna Winkvist,
Tel. +46 (0)31 786 37 28
Email: anna.winkvist@nutrition.gu
Information for study participants
Information for study participants
Read more about our research
Nutritional metabolomics: new objective methods for measuring dietary intake (in Swedish)