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MSG may boost gut bacteria compound tied to blood sugar problems

NCT ID NCT07700368

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Chicago Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

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This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
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Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
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Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
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Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
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 Results may not be published yet.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
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Expanded access (paused)
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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
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Status unknown
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First seen Jul 14, 2026 · Last updated Jul 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial investigates whether the common flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) increases blood levels of imidazole propionate (ImP), a compound produced by gut bacteria from the amino acid histidine. Higher ImP levels have been linked to blood-sugar control issues. Healthy adult volunteers take L-histidine supplements with either MSG or a salt placebo for one week each, and researchers compare ImP levels in their blood. The study aims to uncover a potential dietary influence on a microbiome-derived compound that may affect metabolic health.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
monosodium glutamate (MSG) and L-histidine dietary supplements
What this could lead to
If MSG raises ImP levels, it could point to a dietary link between MSG and blood-sugar regulation.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study in healthy volunteers, so results may not apply to the general population or people with health conditions.

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

About 18 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Jul 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

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

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: * Age 18 years or older * No antibiotic use in the previous 3 months Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of diabetes or prediabetes (any type) * Inflammatory bowel disease or other gastrointestinal disorder * Known allergy or intolerance to monosodium glutamate (MSG) * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Current participation in another clinical trial * High habitual dietary intake of MSG or histidine

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

Healthy adult

How to take part

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  2. The official record

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Duchossois Family Institute, Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery (KCBD), Room 4214

    Chicago, Illinois, 60637, United States

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