The central hypothesis is that the addition of minimally processed lean pork to a healthy plant-forward low ultra-processed diet will enhance nutrient adequacy, promote muscular fitness, and maintain metabolic functions for improved healthspan. A well-designed, randomized, controlled, crossover, feeding study with clinical and molecular mechanistic endpoints is proposed to provide the most definitive level of evidence logistically possible in humans and to establish the role of minimally processed lean pork in healthspan promotion. Utilizing an all-food-provided (dine-in and take-out) design over 18 weeks (rolling recruitment, 8+8, 2w washout), a comprehensive assessment of metabolomics, system biology, physical, and physiological markers that indicate the risk of age-related comorbidities-critical micronutrient deficiency, frailty, metabolic dysfunctions, and cognitive decline, is proposed in upper Midwesterners 65 years and older. A minimally processed plant-forward diet with or without added pork will be compared for over 250 outcome measures using mixed-effects modeling adjusting for covariates in R. n=15/diet/arm i.e., a total starting sample size of n=30 is proposed for 90% power.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
59
Pork-added plant-forward diet
Plant-forward no meat
South Dakota State University, Wagner Hall 416
Brookings, South Dakota, United States
Concentration of Fasting insulin in blood
Using Microplate assay
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Concentration of Ferritin in blood
Using Microplate assay
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Concentration of Homocysteine in blood
Using Microplate assay
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Frequency of Sit-to-stand for strength assessment
Functional assessment test
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Fasting blood glucose concentration in blood
Using Glucometer
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Concentration of FGF21 in blood
Using Microplate assay
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
HOMA-IR index using insulin and glucose concentration in blood
Standard equation
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Concentration of ApoB in blood
Using Microplate assay
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Concentration of Lipid panel in blood
Cholestech ldx
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Concentration of IGF-1 in blood
Using Microplate assay
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Concentration of Complex lipids panel in blood
Using LC/MS based assay
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Concentration of C-peptide
Using Microplate assay
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Concentration of HsCRP in blood
Using Microplate assay
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Height in cm
Measurements
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Body Weight in kg
Measurements
Time frame: Time frame:16 weeks
Blood pressure in mm Hg
Upper arm cuff
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
heart rate in beats per minute
Upper arm cuff
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
Grip force per kg mass
Using Dynamometer
Time frame: Time frame: 16 weeks
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