28 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
This pilot study investigates the digestion rate of naturally occurring food DNA through the human digestive tract by detecting residual food DNA in stool samples. The investigators hypothesize that food DNA primarily transits through the digestive system within 24 hours, with maximal detection in stool samples collected the day after ingestion. Previous research has focused on food DNA digestion in human gastric juices, leaving digestion through the entire gut largely unexplored. This study employs a fixed-order within subjects design involving healthy participants. Each participant will submit a baseline stool sample, consume a single dose of a study-specific powdered food (reconstituted in water) differing from their usual diet, and provide the subsequent five stool samples. If five samples are collected in fewer than five days, an additional sample will be obtained on the fifth day post-consumption. The presence and decline of food specific DNA in these samples will be quantified using qPCR, enabling us to determine the digestion rate of food DNA. The study design poses with minimal risk as it non-invasively monitors the natural process of food DNA digestion and transit through stool sample analysis.
This virtual single-group study aims to evaluate the efficacy of Bye Bye Bloat Capsules in relieving hormonal and food-related bloating and promoting healthy digestion. The study will last 4 weeks, involving 40 female participants aged 18+ who will take two capsules after meals and during times of bloating. Measurements and questionnaires will be completed at Baseline, first use, Week 2, and Week 4.
The aim of the present study is to validate a new method in healthy volunteers and those diagnosed with COPD and CHF that is able to measure protein digestion and absorption simultaneously. This method is used to quantify digestion and absorption in patients who are suspect of impaired digestion and absorption resulting in loss of nutrients.Findings may be used to develop treatment strategies to improve protein digestion and absorption in these patient groups.
We want to determine if feeding a bifido bacteria that readily digests lactose and galactooligosacharides improves lactose digestion and tolerance through alteration of the microbiome.
The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the effects oral supplementation with four human metabolites (spermidine, nicotinamide, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and oleoylethanolamide(OEA)) at varying doses on the circulating blood levels of these metabolites as well as their immediate effects on plasma functionality and postprandial inflammation. 5 young healthy subjects will participate in a four armed study consisting of a Placebo arm and a Low, Medium, and High Dose arm. Subjects will be given a standardized breakfast along with supplementation with either an escalating dose (Low: 1x, Medium: 2x, High: 3x) of a combination of spermidine, nicotinamide, PEA and OEA or a placebo control and a time course of their blood plasma will be collected after supplementation. Plasma samples will be assessed for their concentration of spermidine, nicotinamide, PEA, and OEA as well as their experimental and clinical functionalities including their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cholesterol efflux abilities on primary human macrophage.
Persons with dairy intolerance may experience cramps/abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, acute diarrhea, or fecal urgency when they ingest excessive amounts of lactose. The intensity of these conditions can be mild or severe and likely depends on numerous variables including dose, transit time, intestinal residual lactase activity and microbiome potential to ferment lactose. Jersey cattle produce milk containing high levels of the A2 β-casein protein . There are claims that high A2 β-casein milk is more easily digested by people who are lactose maldigesters . We propose to conduct a double-blinded, randomized, controlled trial to determine if high A2 β-casein milk from Jersey cattle is actually better digested and tolerated by lactose maldigesters.
There is currently a critical gap in knowledge of how intestinal bacterial communities alter metabolic substrates available to the host thereby influencing central and enteric nervous system (CNS/ENS) neurotransmitter levels involved in regulating carbohydrate consumption in humans. Understanding these relationships is essential for developing strategies to improve blood glucose control and to reduce the risk of transitioning from prediabetes to type-2 diabetes (T2D). The investigators' long-term goal is to determine the biological underpinnings of behaviors that impact food intake and blood glucose control that contribute to the development of T2D. The objective of this proposal, which is an essential next step in attaining the investigators' long-term goals, is to determine how bacterial populations in the digestive system impact circulating tryptophan (TRP) and large neutral amino acid (LNAA) levels that regulate production of monoamine 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin) in the ENS and in gastrointestinal system and the brain. The central hypothesis is that a reduced ratio of TRP producing (TRPp) to TRP consuming (TRPc) bacteria (decreased TRPp:TRPc ratio) in the gut will decrease TRP availability following a carbohydrate meal lowering the plasma TRP:LNAA ratio and resulting in less TRP for ENS/CNS production of 5HT. Further, dietary interventions that promote TRPp bacterial abundance within the gut will increase TRP availability to the host. The investigators will test the central hypothesis and, thereby, accomplish the overall objective for this project by pursuing the following specific aims: 1) Assess impact of divergent microbiota on plasma TRP:LNAA ratio in response to acute carbohydrate consumption, and 2) Assess the impact of dietary supplementation with resistant starch (RS) on gut microbiota and circulating TRP:LNAA ratio. During Aim 1, stool samples will be collected from healthy participants. Participants will be stratified based on gut TRPp:TRPc ratio and the response to an acute meal will be assessed by determining plasma TRP:LNAA ratios. During Aim 2 the capacity for 4-weeks of pre-biotic RS (Potato Starch) supplementation to increase the TRPp:TRPc bacterial ratio in the gut will be determined from stool samples. Additionally, plasma TRP:LNAA ratio following acute carbohydrate consumption before and after supplementation will be determined. The scientific contribution will be to determine the impact of RS on TRPp and TRPc bacteria abundance in the gut, and how bacterial populations impact circulating TRP:LNAA levels, that can impact ENS and CNS 5HT production in humans. This contribution will be significant because it will have direct translational implications for human diseases with altered 5HT signaling.
Malnutrition is a significant problem in children and adults with Cystic fibrosis (CF). An impaired intestinal digestion and absorption capacity is one of the main factors responsible for the malnutrition in CF. This impairment starts early in life, leading to malnutrition, muscle weakness, impaired immune and lung function associated with poor prognosis. As low BMI and body weight is strongly associated with morbidity and mortality, a reduction in weight loss in CF and its manifestations would save the healthcare system substantially per year. Simple methods to measure the digested portions and utilization of nutrients and the effectiveness of pancreatic enzyme preparations and medications in CF are not available. Developing a panel of methods to accurately measure gut digestion, absorption and function will lead to studies optimizing nutritional regimen and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy in CF. Furthermore, it will provide detailed insight in the disease and age related mechanisms of gut dysfunction in CF. Finally, it will provide required information that will lead to implement new strategies to improve gut health in order to enhance nutritional status, quality of life and survival. The hypothesis is that intestinal macronutrient digestion, absorption and function in CF can be quantified by an innovative panel of methods using stable isotopes. With this panel of methods, information can be obtained on the effect of disease progression on lipid, protein and glucose digestion and absorption and on gut function in CF as well as in other diseases and conditions characterized by a compromised gut. Furthermore, the optimal nutritional regimen and pancreatic enzyme therapy if applicable can be evaluated in these diseases. In the present study the investigators will study: 1. Pediatric patients with CF at Arkansas Children's Hospital; 2. Adult patients with CF at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. 3. Healthy control subjects. Diagnosis of CF is made based on universal diagnostic criteria. All CF patients are characterized by abnormal lipid digestion based on clinical and or laboratory (72 hour fat analysis or fecal elastase measurement) diagnosis, and requiring pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, and no presence of unstable metabolic diseases. Additional criteria for the CF pediatric inpatients are: admitted to ACH for treatment of exacerbations of CF disease, clinically stable. The CF outpatients are stable outpatients with pancreatic insufficiency.
It is hypothesized that using methylnaltrexone in addition to pain killer narcotics (opiates) in patients will result in increased tube feeding rates with more frequent nutrition at goal calorie rate.
The purpose of this small, short pilot study is to determine the feasibility (e.g., recruitment, dose acceptance, retention) of a future longer trial comparing the effects of different types of milk (raw milk, cow's milk, nondairy-milk) on lactose maldigestion.
One obvious property difference between energy-yielding beverages and solid foods is the oral mechanical processing required to prepare the two food forms for swallowing. Considerable human data are consistent with a contribution of mechanical stimulation to appetite suppression. However, no study has isolated this property and assessed its influence on ingestive behavior in humans. This is the aim of the present study. The null hypothesis is that food rheology will have no effect on these indices. The alternate hypothesis is that increased mechanical stimulation will result in stronger satiation/satiety and reduced energy intake. Further, it is hypothesized that the effects of mastication will be less evident in obese compared to lean individuals.
Energy-yielding fluids induce weaker appetitive and compensatory dietary responses than energy-matched semi-solids or solids. This is problematic because the high and increasing contribution of energy from beverages in the diet may enhance positive energy balance and weight gain. The prevailing view of the overweight/obesity problem is that it stems from a small, sustained positive energy balance. It follows then that only small changes, perhaps manipulations in the rheological characteristics of the diet, will be required to correct the problem. Certain populations that are more prone to weight gain may benefit from such manipulations. Obese individuals have a higher beverage intake and experience greater weight loss with reductions in beverage intake. Further, there is evidence that obese individuals consume more energy after a liquid pre-load than their lean counterparts, yet there is no difference in energy intake after a solid load. In contrast, habitual exercisers have been shown to have an increased accuracy of short-term regulation of food intake at meals following liquid preloads. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which beverages and energy-matched solid food forms elicit differential appetitive and dietary responses in these populations needed. This research will attempt to identify the influence of physical fitness and body fat on the ability to compensate for the energy content of solid and liquid preloads by reduction in energy intake at a subsequent ad libitum meal (i.e., acute compensation) and over the course of the day (i.e., short-term compensation). Furthermore, this study will examine the cognitive contribution to differential responses to energy-matched beverage and solid food forms and the effects of mastication on appetite, GI transit, glycemic response, and selected endocrine responses.
In this research study, investigators are interested in how certain dietary fibers in the diet affect certain hormones released from your intestine after eating and how these influence your appetite. The study hypothesis is that certain fibers will slow digestion and absorption of nutrients thereby optimizing fullness,reducing food intake and limiting insulin response in pre- and post-menopausal women.
The purpose of the study is to find correlations between non-invasive fecal tests of intestinal inflammation and macro- and microscopic evaluation of duodenal and colonic histology, disaccharidase activity, and intestinal permeability in children with autism.
A randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study assessing the impact of health and wellness products on gastrointestinal (GI) health and other health outcomes
Diet is a key factor in managing health and individuals at risk of developing metabolic syndrome or other chronic diseases have the opportunity to use diet as a tool to improve their health. This can be complicated when considering the numerous variables that impact digestion and absorption of key health-promoting compounds in foods. One of these variables is the gut microbiome, a microbial community in the digestive tract that interacts with the foods we consume. The mechanisms the microbiome uses to interact with bioactive compounds in foods, like polyphenols, can modulate the health-promoting benefits of polyphenols. Polyphenols are secondary plant metabolites, commonly found in fruit, legumes, chocolate, coffee, and nuts among other foods that have been shown to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health, as well as reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessing the impact of health and wellness products on GI health and related health outcomes
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a digestive enzyme supplement (three times per day for 30 days) on gastrointestinal distress (GID) and body composition (body mass and body fat percentage) in healthy men and women (18 - 55 years of age) who experience regular GID (3 - 6 episodes of GID per month).
Flatter Me is a product that includes digestive enzymes in a way to support digestion of macronutrients and their constituents and provides herbs traditionally used for digestive health support. This trial aims to test Flatter Me against a placebo pill to examine differences in both subjective outcomes (feelings of bloating and indigestion) and changes in waist circumference (abdominal distension) after eating a test meal.
The primary objective of this study is to investigate the acute effects of a microbial multi-enzyme mixture ("BC-006") on postprandial nutrient levels in healthy, middle-aged to older adults during a mixed meal tolerance test. Additionally, the effects of twice daily consumption of BC-006 and placebo for 3 weeks on abdominal bloating, flatulence, bowel function, and sleep quality will be measured.
The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of the probiotic KE-99 Lactobacillus casei when administered with omega-3 fish oil on probiotic viability, fecal make-up and gastrointestinal (GI) health in healthy adults.
The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of PROMITOR® Soluble Corn Fiber versus inulin on GI symptoms (tolerance), stool consistency (laxation) and fecal microbiome at levels that could contribute to closing the fiber gap. The dose response effects of PROMITOR® Soluble Corn Fiber in healthy children will also be compared.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea and is caused by an obstruction of the upper airways. The obstruction results in periods of intermittent hypoxia and re-oxygenation, which lead to increased oxidative stress, increased inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and insulin resistance. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease that leads to poor airflow. This disease leads to systemic hypoxia, reduced oxidative capacity, and increased inflammation. The direct cause of OSA and COPD is unclear, but OSA and COPD may be linked to other comorbid conditions such as obesity and type II diabetes. Upon onset of OSA and COPD, metabolic disturbances associated with obesity and type II diabetes can be exacerbated. Obesity is a condition characterized by an increase in visceral fat, elevated plasma levels of free fatty acids, inflammation, and insulin resistance. Although the effects of body fat distribution have not been studied in these patients, an increase in both subcutaneous and abdominal fat mass in non-OSA older women was shown to increase morbidity and mortality. Fat/adipose tissue is an active tissue capable of secreting proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-6, reactive oxygen species and adipokines. Particularly, abdominal fat is a prominent source of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which contributes to a low grade, chronic inflammatory state in these patients. Additionally, an increased inflammatory state is associated with reduced lean body mass, and together with elevated circulating free fatty acids may increase the occurrence of lipotoxicity and insulin resistance. Thus, increased fat deposition is associated with a poor prognosis in OSA and COPD patients and therefore it is of clinical and scientific importance to understand the changes in fat metabolism and digestion as a result of OSA and COPD. It is therefore our hypothesis that fat synthesis and insulin resistance is increased and whole body protein synthesis is decreased in OSA and COPD patients, leading to a poor prognosis.
Aging modifies the metabolic pathway of the neurotransmitter serotonin by reducing the synthesis rate and increasing the breakdown rate of serotonin, possibly related to the observed enhanced sensitivity of the serotonergic pathway. Since serotonin plays a prominent role in neuropsychological functions such as anxiety, mood and memory, the enhanced sensitivity of the serotonergic pathway in aging can probably explain the fact that elderly are more vulnerable to develop cognitive deficits and depressive symptoms. Serotonin synthesis in brain is regulated by its precursor tryptophan (TRP). Because tryptophan is an essential amino acid, modifying the availability of tryptophan through dietary intake, can directly influence central serotonin metabolism and consequently affective and cognitive processes. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that an acute intake of whey protein with high levels of TRP such as alpha-lactalbumin can stabilize the metabolism of serotonin and subsequently enhance metabolic and cognitive functions in healthy older adults. The acute effects of this dietary protein will be investigated in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia, compared to control subjects in order to examine whether healthy older subject with MCI benefit more from the intake of alpha-lactalbumin and/or whey. The investigators will investigate if this meal can optimize serotonin metabolism by elevating plasma TRP levels and plasma TRP appearance and enhance splanchnic TRP extraction. In addition, the effects on mood and cognitive functions will be examined.
Following chemotherapy, breast cancer patients primarily gain fat mass and lose muscle mass. Both depletion of muscle and an increase of fat mass in breast cancer patients are related to short survival, and decreased skeletal muscle mass and function may result in fatigue and inactivity, which contributes to fat mass changes and can be responsible for chemo-toxicity and increased mortality. The purpose of this study is to provide detailed insight in chemotherapy related changes in lipid metabolism and gut digestion and absorption of fat in breast cancer patients compared to matched healthy controls. This will provide required information that is necessary to implement new strategies to develop optimal nutritional regimen in breast cancer patients. The hypothesis is that chemotherapy in breast cancer is related to altered gut function and absorption and to increases in fat synthesis that lead to fat accumulation. In addition, we will examine the effect of cancer, chemotherapy, and gender by comparing fat digestion/absorption and fat metabolism of the breast cancer before and after chemotherapy, to aged matched healthy female and male controls.
Weight loss commonly occurs in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), negatively influencing their quality of life, treatment response and survival. Loss of muscle protein is generally a central component of weight loss in CKD patients but patients also have reductions in fat mass and bone density, independent of the severity of the disease state. Attempts to reverse weight and muscle loss in CKD and improve nutritional status by nutritional supplementation have been unsuccessful and there are currently no approved therapies. Purpose of this study is to provide detailed insight in disease related gut function by obtaining information on gut permeability, digestion and absorption of glucose, fat and protein in CKD patients compared to matched healthy controls. Additionally, to examine whether protein and amino acid metabolism is disturbed in CKD patients compared to healthy controls. This will provide required information that will lead to implement new strategies to develop optimal nutritional regimen in order to enhance nutritional status, quality of life and survival in relation to kidney disease.
Weight loss and muscle wasting commonly occurs in patients with cancer, negatively influencing their quality of life, treatment response and survival. Weight loss has been reported as a side effect of chemotherapy treatment in cancer. Weight changes may be the consequence of energy imbalance and disturbances in protein metabolism (through different factors linked with chemotherapy), such as reduced caloric and protein intake (partly related to depression), poor treatment tolerance, hormonal alterations, systemic inflammation etc. This results in body composition modifications in favor of fat gain and/or lean body mass loss in early stage cancer and loss of both fat mass and lean mass in advanced cancer. Depletion of lean tissue in cancer patients is related to short survival, and decreased skeletal muscle mass and function may result in fatigue and inactivity, which contributes to fat mass changes and can be responsible for chemo-toxicity and increased mortality. Gains in muscle mass are difficult to achieve in cancer unless specific metabolic abnormalities are targeted. Recently, the investigators observed that essential amino acid mixtures (EAA) are able to induce protein anabolism in patients with stage III and IV non-small cell lung cancer. Previous experimental research and clinical studies in cachectic conditions (including cancer) indicate that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are able to attenuate protein degradation by improving the anabolic response to feeding and by decreasing the acute phase response. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (in combination with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) has been shown to effectively inhibit weight loss in several disease states; however, weight and muscle mass gain was not present or minimal. Recent studies examining the effect of fish oil supplementation in relation to chemotherapy have been inconclusive but found potential beneficial effects on physical performance and increased efficacy of first-line chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. It is the investigators' hypothesis that supplementation with milk protein (containing essential amino acids) carbohydrate (CHO) mixture in combination with fish oil supplementation will target the metabolic alterations in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, attenuating the negative effects of chemotherapy on gut function, muscle mass and muscle function, and cognition; and leading to reduced toxicity from chemotherapy.
Weight loss commonly occurs in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), negatively influencing their quality of life, treatment response and survival. Loss of muscle protein is generally a central component of weight loss in CHF and COPD patients but patients also have reductions in fat mass and bone density, independent of the severity of the disease state. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to provide detailed insight in disease related gut function by obtaining information on gut permeability, digestion and absorption of glucose, fat and protein in CHF and COPD patients compared to matched healthy controls. This will provide required information that is necessary to implement new strategies to develop optimal nutritional regimen in CHF and COPD. The hypothesis is that CHF and COPD are related to decreased gut function and absorption, leading to decreased anabolic response. Second, this decreased nutritional status is linked to reduced muscle functioning and possibly decreased cognition. In addition, we will examine the effect of aging on by comparing gut function digestion and absorption of the CHF and COPD aged matched healthy controls to a group of young healthy subjects.