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Using a Complex Carbohydrate Mixture to Steer Fermentation and Improve Metabolism in Adults With Overweight and Prediabetes (DISTAL)

Using a Complex Carbohydrate Mixture Added to a High-protein Diet to Steer Fermentation and Improve Metabolic, Gut and Brain Health

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05354245
Acronym
DISTAL
Enrollment
44
Registered
2022-04-29
Start date
2022-09-08
Completion date
2024-06-10
Last updated
2024-06-27

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Insulin Resistance, Impaired Glucose Tolerance, PreDiabetes, Overweight and Obesity

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a fibre mixture added to a high-protein diet on metabolic, gut and brain health.

Detailed description

The fibre mixture that will be investigated is hypothesized to improved metabolic, gut and brain health. It potentially increases insulin sensitivity, satiety, gut barrier function, improves food-reward related brain activity and decreases inflammation, gut permeability, and ectopic lipid accumulation, among other potential health effects. The fibre mixture will be administrated during 12 weeks combined a high-protein diet. The placebo-controlled parallel design of the study allows for a placebo group to use maltodextrin combined with a high-protein diet for 12 weeks. The high-protein diet is known to increase satiety and might enhance the difference between the intervention and placebo groups in terms of outcome measurements. The potential health effects as described earlier will be investigated using different techniques.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTFibre supplement (potato-pectin)

Fibre supplement

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTPlacebo

Maltodextrin

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTHigh-protein diet

High-protein diet

Sponsors

Carbohydrate Competence Center
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Maastricht University Medical Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
30 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Age 30-75 years * Male/female * BMI 28-40 kg/m2 * Impaired fasting glucose or glucose tolerance, determined using the following criteria (participant should meet at least one criteria): * HbA1c 42-47 mmol/mol OR fasting glucose (\>10h fasted) 5.6-6.9 mmol/l OR Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) \>1.85

Exclusion criteria

* Diabetes mellitus (type 1 or 2) * Cardiovascular disease (except hypertension (\<160/100mmHg is allowed), pulmonary disease, kidney disease/failure, liver disease/failure * Gastrointestinal disease or a history of abdominal surgery (except appendectomy and cholecystectomy) * Diseases affecting glucose and/or lipid metabolism * Malignancy (except non-invasive skin cancer) * Auto-immune disease * Major mental disorders * Ongoing (infectious) disease or any disease with a life expectancy ≤5 years * Substance abuse (nicotine abuse (including e-cigarettes) defined as \>20 cigarettes per day; alcohol abuse defined as ≥8 drinks/week for females and ≥15 drinks/week for males(38); any drugs) * A change in weight ≥3kg over the last 3 months or plans to lose weight or follow a hypocaloric diet during the study period * Pre/pro/antibiotic use in the last 3 months or during the study * Use of medication that influences glucose or fat metabolism and inflammation, such as: * Use of statins (stable use ≥3 months prior to and during study is allowed) * Use of antidepressants (stable use ≥3 months prior to and during study is allowed) * Use of specific anticoagulants * Use of medication known to interfere with study outcomes * Use of β-blockers * Chronic corticosteroid treatment (\>7 consecutive days) * Regular use of laxatives 3 months prior to the study or during study period * Change in physical activity or diet during study period * Intensive physical activity (\>3h per week) * Pregnancy * Following a vegan or vegetarian diet; presence of food allergies, intolerances or diet restrictions interfering with the study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Peripheral insulin sensitivity12 weeksChange in peripheral insulin sensitivity between the two groups. Measured using a two-step hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Gut permeability12 weeksDifference in change between the groups. Measured using multisugar test
Inflammation12 weeksDifference in change between the groups. Measured using serum values.
Energy and substrate metabolism12 weeksDifference in change between the groups. Measured using serum values (circulating metabolites) and indirect calorimetry (energy harvest and expenditure)
Neurocognitive functioning12 weeksDifference in change between the groups. Measured using neurocognitive tests and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Neurocognitive functioning will be measured using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) (a combination of different digital tests) to assess response time in seconds and quality of delivered results. fMRI assesses food-reward related brain activity.
Insulin sensitivity (hepatic and adipose tissue)12 weeksChange in insulin sensitivity between the two groups. Measured using a two-step hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp
Tissue metabolism (subcutaneous visceral adipose tissue, skeletal muscle tissue)12 weeksDifference in change between the groups regarding receptor expression and metabolic changes in different pathways (lipolysis, insulin signalling etc)
Microbiome composition and functionality12 weeksDifference in change between the groups. Measured using 16S-RNA sequencing and faecal analysis of substrates of saccharolytic and proteolytic fermentation.
Gastrointestinal side-effects of dietary supplement12 weeksDifference in change between the groups. Measured by gastrointestinal symptom rating scale and questionnaires on general wellbeing. Gastro-intestinal symptom rating scale: 15 questions on 7-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; 7 = strongly agree)
Stool consistency12 weeksDifference in change between the groups. Measured by bristol stool scale (7-point scale (1 = solid feces, 7 = severe diarrhoea)
Food reward related brain activity12 weeksDifference in change between the groups. Measured using neurocognitive tests and fMRI. Neurocognitive functioning will be measured using CANTAB (a combination of different digital tests) to assess response time in seconds and quality of delivered results. fMRI assesses food-reward related brain activity

Countries

Netherlands

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026