Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Could a meal kit delivery fight depression?

NCT ID NCT06242665

Disease control Sponsor: University of Michigan Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 20, 2026 · Last updated Jul 21, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study explores whether eating fewer ultra-processed foods (like packaged snacks and fast food) can help lift mood in people with moderate-to-severe depression. Participants either receive meal kits with minimally processed foods or get nutritional guidance only. The study also looks at how blood sugar swings and sleep quality may link diet to depression.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
low ultra-processed food meals and snacks provided via delivery, plus nutritional guidance
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward a simple, accessible dietary approach to help manage depression symptoms.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with only 47 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Dietary changes can be hard to maintain, and the effect on depression may be modest.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

47 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Dec 2023

Finished

Jan 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * 18+ years of age * Must own an Android or iPhone smartphone * Must be able to access phone one every 90 minutes * Able to attend consent call over zoom or phone * Endorsement of a PHQ-8 score of at least 10 assessed at consent * Endorsement of a PHQ-8 score of at least 8 assessed 24 hours prior to Visit 1 * Endorse daily intake of at least UPF foods * Willing to come to three in-lab visits * Willing to follow dietary guidelines * Must be able to speak, write, and read English fluently Exclusion Criteria: * Regular smoking of cigarettes or vaping of nicotine * History of medication that impact reward, eating, or indicate severe mental health conditions (e.g., Lithium) * The following medical conditions; Diabetes Type I, Diabetes Type II, Prediabetes, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Psychotic Disorder, Depression with psychotic symptoms, Borderline Personality Disorder, Hypoglycemia, Substance use disorder (e.g., alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, cannabis use disorder), Obsessive compulsive disorder, and Post-traumatic stress disorder * Endorsement of a suicide attempt or having been hospitalized for psychiatric reasons in the last year * A diagnosis of a restrictive eating disorder (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, purging disorder) within the last 5 years * History of disorders that impact eating (e.g., cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, hypothyroidism). * Current pregnancy, breast-feeding, trying to get pregnant, or within six months of having given birth * Frequent (i.e., weekly) night shift work or irregular shifts and for abnormal sleep patterns (i.e., wake up time after 11am)

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Depression are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depression depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Depression

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Michigan

    Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.