The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of consuming unprocessed and processed red meat on gut microbiota in young healthy adults in a cross-over, randomized controlled feeding trial.
The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of consuming processed and unprocessed red meat on gut microbiota in young healthy adults in a cross-over, randomized controlled feeding trial. The hypothesis is that compared to consuming a meat-free lacto-ovo vegetarian (LOV) diet, (1) consuming the LOV diet with unprocessed red meat or processed red meat (omnivorous diet) will shift the gut microbiota with greater abundance of the bacteria Lactobacillus and other SCFA producers such as Clostridium XIVa, and no increase of pathogenic bacteria. The concentration of SCFA in stools will also increase in subjects consuming the unprocessed red meat diet. Compared to consuming a meat-free lacto-ovo vegetarian (LOV) diet, (2) consuming the LOV diet with processed beef and pork (omnivorous diet) will result in a comparable shift in gut microbiota as unprocessed red meat, except for greater abundance of taxa Erysipelotrichaceae and lower abundance of Lachnospiraceae.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
23
Subjects will be randomized and assigned into an intervention to consume the controlled lacto-ovo vegetarian (LOV) diet for 3 weeks. All foods will be provided to subjects during the intervention. Each subject's energy requirement will be estimated using sex-specific equations published by the Institute of Medicine for weight maintenance during the intervention.
The unprocessed red meat diet will be the same as the LOV diet except that one 3-ounce portion of unprocessed red meat per day, 7 days per week (21 oz/wk) will be included. The unprocessed red meat will include beef tenderloin and pork loin. All foods will be provided to subjects during the intervention.
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
Changes in gut microbiota composition
The hypothesis is that compared to consuming a meat-free lacto-ovo vegetarian (LOV) diet, (1) consuming the LOV diet with unprocessed red meat or processed red meat (omnivorous diet) will shift the gut microbiota with greater abundance of the bacteria Lactobacillus and other SCFA producers such as Clostridium XIVa, and no increase of pathogenic bacteria. Compared to consuming a meat-free lacto-ovo vegetarian (LOV) diet, (2) consuming the LOV diet with processed beef and pork (omnivorous diet) will result in a comparable shift in gut microbiota as unprocessed red meat, except for greater abundance of taxa Erysipelotrichaceae and lower abundance of Lachnospiraceae.
Time frame: 21 months. Stool samples will be obtained at the end of study weeks 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 19, 20, 23, and 24, which correspond to before and during the last 2 weeks of the three 3-wk controlled diet periods.
Concentrations of short chain fatty acids (SCFA)
The hypothesis is that compared to consuming a meat-free lacto-ovo vegetarian (LOV) diet, the concentration of SCFA in stools will also increase in subjects consuming the unprocessed or processed red meat diet.
Time frame: 21 months. Stool samples will be obtained at the end of study weeks 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 19, 20, 23, and 24, which correspond to before and during the last 2 weeks of the three 3-wk controlled diet periods.
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The processed red meat diet will be the same as the LOV diet except that one 3-ounce portion of processed red meat per day, 7 days per week (21 oz/wk) will be included. The processed red meat will include a variety of beef and pork luncheon meats with different methods of preservation. All foods will be provided to subjects during the intervention.