Overview
We are looking for healthy men and women, age 25-45, to join a research study about how added sugar affects the bacteria in your gut. This research is being conducted by scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
By participating, you will:
- Find out how many calories your body burns at rest and your daily calorie needs
- Learn about your body composition (percentages fat and lean mass)
- Get insights into your diet and whether it meets current nutrition guidelines
- Receive a “snapshot” of your gut microbiome profile
Compensation
- Receive $800 for completing the study
- Get 34 days of food
Interested in enrolling in the study?
Interested participants can use this link to coordinate a time to discuss the study and eligibility with our research coordinator. You can also contact the research team at sugarstudy@mssm.edu or call 212-824-7055 for more information. Please include the study name “Sugar Study” in the subject line of your inquiries.
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this research study is to understand whether commonly consumed levels of dietary sugars influence the gut microbiome. Americans commonly consume excess amounts of dietary added sugar. Added dietary sugar has been shown to have an adverse impact on metabolic health, including increased insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk. However, the mechanisms that link dietary sugars and metabolic health are poorly understood. Excess sugar can reach the colon where it may change the structure and function of the gut microbiome (the community of bacteria that resides in our intestines).
To understand whether commonly consumed levels of dietary sugar influence the gut microbiome, we will recruit participants to consume 2 controlled diets (12 days each) consisting of added sugar in the form of a beverage. The diets will be designed to maintain weight (no loss or gain).
Determining the impact of excess sugar on the microbiome will help identify novel means by which dietary sugar contributes to metabolic disease risk. In addition to identifying strategies to improve metabolic health in adults, data from this study could help inform targeted approaches to mitigate future disease risk in vulnerable populations that consume high levels of added sugar, such as children.
How does the study work?
Screening visit: Participants will visit our research clinic at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital (W114th St and Amsterdam Ave) for a 3-hour screening visit where they will have a simple test that measures gasses in the breath after drinking a sugary beverage. Additionally, participants will be asked questions about dietary patterns, physical activity, and medical history.
Day 1: Qualifying participants will return for a visit where a test that determines their baseline metabolic rate (the number of calories your body needs to survive if you lay still all day) will be performed.
Day 5: Participants then return 5 days later for the following measurements:
- Body composition measures. We will measure weight, height and body composition via BodPod (to get percent fat and percent lean mass)
- Blood sample. We will collect blood samples (approximately 4 tsp)
- Intestinal permeability test. This measures your body’s ability to absorb and process sugars and consists of drinking a sugar beverage and collecting a urine sample.
- 24-hour dietary recall. You will be asked to take a record of your diet
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). You will be asked to undergo a 20-minute non-contrast MRI procedure on a state-of-the-art system. This non-invasive procedure will measure the amount of fat in your liver and the stiffness of your liver.
Days 5-17: Each participant will be assigned to a personalized diet (based on your individual metabolic rate) for 12 days. The diet will be designed to maintain your current weight. All the food for the 12-day diet will be provided with detailed meal plan instructions. During this diet phase you will be asked to drink a sugary beverage 3 times per day, each day. During this first 12-day diet participants will be asked to self-collect stool samples at home (a total of 4 samples). At the end of the 12 days participants will return to the clinic for repeated measurements (described above).
Days 18-27: Each participant will then be provided with 10 more days of individualized meals (no sugary beverage component in this phase) to consume at home. After this 10-day period participants will return to the clinic for repeated measurements (described above).
Days 28-39: Participants will then be assigned to another personalized diet (based on your individual metabolic rate) for 12 days. The diet will also be designed to maintain your current weight. All the food for the 12-day diet will be provided with detailed meal plan instructions. During this diet phase you will be asked to drink a sugary beverage 3 times per day, each day. During this first 12-day diet participants will be asked to self-collect stool samples at home (a total of 4 samples). At the end of the 12 days participants will return to the clinic for repeated measurements (described above).
Day 40-44: Participants will then return home for 5 days of normal diet (no food provided) and return to the clinic for a final blood draw.
The total duration of the study is 44 days.
This study was approved by the Mount Sinai Institutional Review Board (STUDY-23-01572) and is registered with clinicaltrials.gov.