Anti-Inflammatory pill may rewire food choices in overweight people
NCT ID NCT05785429
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether colchicine, a common anti-inflammatory drug, can change how the brain values effort and reward when making food choices. 59 overweight women with mild inflammation took either colchicine or a placebo daily for 12 weeks. Researchers used brain scans and behavior tests to see if the drug made them more willing to work for healthier, lower-calorie foods.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- colchicine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a treatment that helps people with overweight make healthier food choices by reducing inflammation.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study (59 people) that only looked at brain activity and behavior, not weight loss. Results may not apply to everyone, and colchicine can cause side effects like stomach upset.
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
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59 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2022
- Finished
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Jan 2025
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 59 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2 * Female sex * Right-handed * Age: 18-59 years * Shoulder width of \< 68 cm (to fit into the MRI scanner) * Dutch speaking - Sufficient level to understand task instructions * Low-grade inflammatory state, as measured by C-reactive protein (CRP) between 3.0 and 10.0 mg/L Exclusion Criteria: * Having been vaccinated by any type of vaccine in the 4 weeks preceding the first test session * Having had an infection characterized by a fever, or diagnosed by a medical physician in the 4 weeks preceding the first test session * Diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus type I or II * Gained or lost \>2 points in BMI (kg/m2) over the last 6 months * Followed an energy restricting diet during the last 2 months * Having had bariatric surgery in the past 5 years * Regular use of anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, weight-loss, and psychoactive medication * Regular use of CYP3A4 inhibitors, P-glycoprotein inhibitors, statins, fibrates, ciclosporin, and digoxin, as a contraindication for colchicine * Have renal impairment as evidenced by serum creatinine \>150 μmol/l or eGFR \<50mL/min/1.73m2, determined maximum 12 weeks before inclusion * Have moderate to severe hepatic disease * (History of) clinically significant psychiatric or neurological disorder * (History of) clinically significant metabolic, cardiovascular, renal, liver, endocrinological, autoimmune or chronic inflammatory disease * General medical conditions, such as sensorimotor handicaps, deafness, blindness or colour-blindness, as judged by the investigator * Current or history of alcohol and/or drugs abuse (i.e. \>14 units per week) * Habitual smoking, i.e. one or more cigarettes per day * Pregnant, lactating or wishing to become pregnant in the period between the screening and until 3 months after the last study visit * Participation in another weight loss, lifestyle or anti-inflammatory intervention in the context of research at the time of inclusion or during the study * Contraindications for MRI
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging
Nijmegen, 9525EN, Netherlands
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