Overconsumption of carbohydrates has been implicated as a cause of significant public health problems including obesity and diabetes. The most effective approach to alter dietary pattern and improve public health is unknown. Gradual and abrupt changes in dietary pattern have been tried in small, uncontrolled trials, but it is not clear which approach is most effective. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate different approaches to changing dietary pattern for altering flavor perception in foods and beverages and for altering preference for flavor.
This comprehensive, well-controlled diet study aims to evaluate and compare different approaches to alter dietary pattern, especially macronutrient profile. The investigators propose a prospective, randomized trial that is designed to overcome the above limitations to test the hypothesis that changing dietary macronutrient profile can change taste perception and food preference. Data from this study will provide information that policy makers, regulators, and the food industry can use to develop successful approaches (gradual or otherwise) for providing healthy diets in the marketplace.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
128
A diet with a specified macronutrient composition different from arms 2 and 3.
A diet with a specified macronutrient composition different from arms 1 and 3.
A diet with a specified macronutrient composition different from arms 1 and 2, based on the current information about the US macronutrient composition.
USDA-ARS, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center
Beltsville, Maryland, United States
Taste intensity of food
Rating taste intensity from barely detectable to strong using a general labeled magnitude scale. The name of the scale is the general labeled magnitude scale. The value of the response is recorded on the scale as "barely detectable", "weak", "moderate, strong", "very strong", and "strongest imaginable sensation of any kind." None of these responses is considered better or worse than any other.
Time frame: Month 1
Taste intensity of food
Rating taste intensity from barely detectable to strong using a general labeled magnitude scale. The name of the scale is the general labeled magnitude scale. The value of the response is recorded on the scale as "barely detectable", "weak", "moderate, strong", "very strong", and "strongest imaginable sensation of any kind." None of these responses is considered better or worse than any other.
Time frame: Month 2
Taste intensity of food
Rating taste intensity from barely detectable to strong using a general labeled magnitude scale. The name of the scale is the general labeled magnitude scale. The value of the response is recorded on the scale as "barely detectable", "weak", "moderate, strong", "very strong", and "strongest imaginable sensation of any kind." None of these responses is considered better or worse than any other.
Time frame: Month 3
Taste intensity of food
Rating taste intensity from barely detectable to strong using a general labeled magnitude scale. The name of the scale is the general labeled magnitude scale. The value of the response is recorded on the scale as "barely detectable", "weak", "moderate, strong", "very strong", and "strongest imaginable sensation of any kind." None of these responses is considered better or worse than any other.
Time frame: Month 4
Taste intensity of food
Rating taste intensity from barely detectable to strong using a general labeled magnitude scale. The name of the scale is the general labeled magnitude scale. The value of the response is recorded on the scale as "barely detectable", "weak", "moderate, strong", "very strong", and "strongest imaginable sensation of any kind." None of these responses is considered better or worse than any other.
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Time frame: Month 6
Taste preference
Most liked concentration. Foods will be scaled as g flavor/100 g food.
Time frame: Month 1
Taste preference
Most liked concentration. Foods will be scaled as g flavor/100 g food.
Time frame: Month 2
Taste preference
Most liked concentration. Foods will be scaled as g flavor/100 g food.
Time frame: Month 3
Taste preference
Most liked concentration. Foods will be scaled as g flavor/100 g food.
Time frame: Month 4
Taste preference
Most liked concentration. Foods will be scaled as g flavor/100 g food.
Time frame: Month 6
Diet-related adverse events
Adverse events related to the diet tabulated by study-arm and severity.
Time frame: Daily during the Baseline (Month 1), Months 2-6
Diet-related early discontinuation from intervention
Subject withdraws citing issues with the study diet, or investigators withdraw the subject from the study due to concerns over how the subject reacts to the study diet.
Time frame: Daily during the Baseline (Month 1), Months 2-6