Metabolomics-Driven Insights Into Ultra-Processed Foods

Conditions

• Diet, Food and Nutrition

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

20 Years - 65 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• UPF Test Diet A: Starchy, refined grains — OTHER
  The 2-week diet phase includes a standardized control run-in diet with non-UPFs only for 7 days, immediately followed by a 7-day UPF test diet with \~60% of calories from UPFs consistently of starchy foods and refined grain products. Participants receive all study-provided meals and snacks. The diets are standardized and consumed during the assigned intervention period as part of the randomized crossover feeding trial.
• UPF Test Diet B: Meat, fish, and bread products — OTHER
  The 2-week diet phase includes a standardized control run-in diet with non-UPFs only for 7 days, immediately followed by a 7-day UPF test diet with \~60% of calories from UPFs consisting of meat, fish, and bread products. Participants receive all study-provided meals and snacks. The diets are standardized and consumed during the assigned intervention period as part of the randomized crossover feeding trial.
• UPF Diet C: Dairy products, including cheese and cream — OTHER
  The 2-week diet phase includes a standardized control run-in diet with non-UPFs only for 7 days, immediately followed by a 7-day UPF test diet with \~60% of calories from UPFs consisting of dairy products, including cheese and cream. Participants receive all study-provided meals and snacks. The diets are standardized and consumed during the assigned intervention period as part of the randomized crossover feeding trial.

Study Details

The goal of this dietary intervention study in generally healthy adults is to develop new ways to use blood samples to measure the common types of highly processed foods and beverages that people eat on a regular basis. The main aims to answer are: What small molecules are elevated in blood after eating different types of highly processed foods and beverages consistently for 1 week? Researchers will compare 3 different test diets with 1 control diet that does not have any highly processed foods in the same individuals to see which circulating blood markers change. Participants will: * Complete 3 diet phases, each 2 weeks long * Receive a meal plan and study foods and beverages to follow for each 2-week phase * Come to the clinic every week for blood draws, urine samples, and stool collection kits

Key Dates

First listed

Jul 21, 2026

Start date

Jan 31, 2027

Status verified

Jul 2026

Primary completion

Mar 31, 2028

Completion

Mar 31, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment

40 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

CROSSOVER

Primary purpose

OTHER

Arms

• Experimental: Sequence 1
  Participants receive Diet A, followed by Diet B, followed by Diet C.
• Experimental: Sequence 2
  Participants receive Diet A, followed by Diet C, followed by Diet B.
• Experimental: Sequence 3
  Participants receive Diet B, followed by Diet A, followed by Diet C.
• Experimental: Sequence 4
  Participants receive Diet B, followed by Diet C, followed by Diet A.
• Experimental: Sequence 5
  Participants receive Diet C, followed by Diet A, followed by Diet B.
• Experimental: Sequence 6
  Participants receive Diet C, followed by Diet B, followed by Diet A.

Primary Outcome Measure

Within-person metabolomic response during each UPF test diet, compared to the paired non-UPF control diet. [ Time Frame: Day 0, Day 7, and Day 14 of each dietary intervention period ]

Central Contacts

• Deirdre K Tobias, ScD
  617-278-0844
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in Boston, MA

Related Studies

• Occupational Therapy and Registered Dietitian Services to Reduce Fall Risk Among Home Delivered Meal Clients
  Recruiting · Ohio State University · Columbus, Ohio