None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
As we get older, our bodies experience inflammation which can lead to long-term illness. To counteract this, our bodies have a pathway called the Nrf2, which protects us against certain harmful substances, thereby reducing inflammation. One way to activate this pathway is by eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli. These vegetables contain a compound called glucoraphanin that activates the Nrf2 pathway, helping reduce the damage caused and promoting a healthy balance in cells. However, there is still a lot we don't understand about how this process works exactly. In our hypothesis, we suggest that tiny particles called extracellular vesicles (EVs), found in our liver, may play a role in transporting protective proteins to different tissues in our body, potentially influencing the processes involved in the functioning of distant organs, like the prostate gland and brain. To test our hypothesis, it's important to study how eating these vegetables in moderation could potentially benefit distant organs.
Interventions
The study will involve two randomized treatments provided as soups to the participants.
Treatment A- commercially available glucoraphanin-containing vegetable soup (1 Serving;250ml).
On the screening visit (Visit 1), height and weight will be measured using a stadiometer and a clinical body weighing scale, respectively. Waist circumference will be measured at the screening visit (Visit 1) midway between the inferior margin of the lower rib and the iliac crest using a non-stretchable metal tape.
The study will involve two randomized treatments provided as soups to the participants. Treatment A- commercially available glucoraphanin-containing vegetable soup (1 Serving;250ml). On the screening visit (Visit 1), height and weight will be measured using a stadiometer and a clinical body weighing scale, respectively. Waist circumference will be measured at the screening visit (Visit 1) midway between the inferior margin of the lower rib and the iliac crest using a non-stretchable metal tape. Participants will be instructed to avoid consuming cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, brussels sprouts, collard greens) and condiments like mustard, mustard greens, horseradish, and wasabi in the 2 days (48h) preceding each treatment visit and during the treatment visits; participants will be asked to record their dietary intake for the 2 days immediately preceding the treatment visits. After the screening visit (Visit 1), participants will be asked to attend the Clinical Research Unit (CRU) of the Liggins Institute in an overnight fasted state (10-12 hours) on 6 further occasions; Treatment visit (Visit 2 and Visit 5) and Interim Visits (Visit 3, Visit 4, Visit 6 and Visit 7), separated by a one week washout period between the two treatment visits. Prior to treatment visits (2 and 5), participants will be asked to take dinner between 7:30 and 9 pm on the previous night before the visit, and after the dinner, they are not allowed to eat anything except water till they come over to the CRU. There is no restriction on what the participant eat for dinner, but we will request the participant to avoid eating broccoli, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, brussels sprouts, collard greens and condiments like mustard, mustard greens, horseradish, and wasabi. On the treatment day, a venous cannula will be inserted, and a baseline (fasting) blood sample will be collected. A baseline urine sample will also be collected. Participants will be asked to consume a glucoraphanin-containing vegetable soup at one treatment visit and a non-glucoraphanin-containing vegetable soup at the other treatment visit in a randomly assigned order. Participants will be requested to consume the soup within 10 minutes. Postprandial blood following soup consumption will be sampled at regular intervals of 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, 360, and 480 min using the cannula for blood collection and then at two interim visits (24h and preferably at 48h). All Interim visits will involve blood collection using a butterfly needle for venipuncture. Urine samples will be collected across 48h, with a time frame of 0, 0-2, 2-4, 4-6, 6-8h, 8-24h and preferably 24-48h after consumption of the soup. A standard breakfast at 60 min (to be consumed in 10 minutes) and lunch at 180 min (to be consumed in 20 minutes) will be provided during each treatment visit.
Sponsors
Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Crossover
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
55 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
•Ethnicity: All •Gender: Males and females •Age: >55yr •BMI:18.5-30 kg/m2 •Non-smokers •Able and willing to attend all site visits
Exclusion criteria
• Current illness or condition which in the view of the investigator and/or advising clinician at the Liggins Institute would affect the compliance or safety of the individual taking part. • Gastrointestinal disorder that alters nutrient digestion and absorption (e.g., ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, coeliac disease, an ileostomy or colostomy). • Current use of medications which may interfere with normal digestive processes including proton pump inhibitors, laxatives, and antacids. • Have used antibiotics within the previous one month or are currently on long-term antibiotics.
Outcome results
None listed