Harvard scientists track what happens inside your body after eating
NCT ID NCT05616585
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This completed study from Harvard University aimed to find biological markers in urine, blood, and stool that change after eating specific foods. Researchers gave 115 healthy adults controlled meals and measured hundreds of compounds to better understand how the body processes food. The goal is to improve how we track diet and nutrition in future studies.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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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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115 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2023
- Finished
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Oct 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 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- 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: * Healthy adults Men and women, 18+ * Body Mass Index (BMI) 18.5-39.9 kg/m2 * Willingness to participate in all study visits Exclusion Criteria: * History of gastrointestinal conditions (e.g., ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, celiac sprue, Hereditary Non-polyposis Colorectal Cancer, familial adenomatous polyposis, pancreatic disease, liver disease) * Bleeding disorders that preclude blood draws * Anemia- as self-reported in the Screening Questionnaire * Previous gastrointestinal resection or gastric bypass surgery * Recent hospital admissions (in past 6 months) for heart disease (myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, or congestive heart failure) or other cerebrovascular/ coronary artery disease condition under physician guided therapy that is not medically stable. * Cancer under radiation or chemotherapy treatment that is active or within 6 months of treatment. Except for non-melanoma skin cancer. * Women who are pregnant or lactating * Weight change (±5% in3 months) * Regular alcohol intake of \>2 drinks/day (2 drinks being equivalent to 720 ml beer, 240 ml wine, or 90 ml spirits) and unwilling to abstain during feeding periods * Use of tobacco, marijuana, hookahs, vape, or e-cigarettes and not willing to abstain during feeding periods. * Use of illicit drugs and not willing abstain during feeding periods. * Body mass index \>40 kg/m2 * Hypertension- seated blood pressure \>140 mmHg or diastolic \>90 mmHg * Food allergies/intolerances or major dislikes to foods used in the study menus; unwilling to consume study foods. * Regular (daily to weekly) use of over-the-counter weight-loss aids, anti-inflammatories, and unwilling to stop taking these during feeding periods * Unwilling to stop taking over the counter dietary supplements that interfere with the test foods being studied, including pills, chewable, liquids or powders for the following: protein supplements, soy, fiber, flaxseed, fish oil (incl. cod liver oil), probiotics, carotenoids, selenium, other antioxidants, other phytochemicals, glucosamine, and chondroitin. If vitamin supplement is MD prescribed, the participant may be enrolled subject to the investigator's judgment. Staff will review supplement to determine eligibility. * Oral or IV antibiotic use in the past 3 months (could defer participation until 3 months post completion of course of antibiotics) * Inability to freely give informed consent * Clinical lab tests outside acceptable value as ascertained at a screening blood draw and current use of specific prescription medications per self-report Description \[Acceptable Values\] Glucose-Fasting: Serum Glucose \[54-125 mg/dl\] Blood Urea Nitrogen \[6-50mg/dl\] Serum Creatinine \[0.4-1.3 mg/dl\] Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) \[\>60ml/min\] Serum Sodium \[133-146 mmol/L\] Alanine Aminotransferase/glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (ALT/GPT) Liver Enzyme \[5-60 U/L\] Aspartate aminotransferase (AST/GOT) Liver Enzyme \[5-40 U/L\] Alkaline Phosphatase Liver Enzyme \[20-135 U/L\] Total Bilirubin Liver Function \[0.0-1.9 mg/dl\] Total Serum Protein \[5-9.0 g/dl\] Albumin Serum Protein \[3.5-5.9 g/dl\] LDL Cholesterol \[\<160 mg/dl\] Triglycerides \[\<500 mg/dl\] White Blood Cells (WBC) \[3-10.5 K/per microliter (μL)\] Hematocrit (HCT) (women) \[35-48 g/dl\] Hematocrit (HCT) (men) \[37.5-49 g/dl\] Prescription Medications that would Exclude Participation: * Diuretics * Steroids (oral): daily oral any dose within 1 month of study, except as noted below * Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS): when prescribed for treatment or is regularly consumed (i.e.. Daily), or can't be stopped for 2 days without pain, except 81 mg Aspirin * Opiates: any use within 1 month of study * Antilipemic Agents that affect GI or renal function (i.e.. Fibrates) * Antidiabetics and Hypoglycemic medications other than metformin (i.e.. insulin, SGLT2 inhibitor, α-glucosidase inhibitor) * Psychiatric that affect metabolism/renal function (anti-psychotics, lithium) * Biologics/immune modulators (i.e.. rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, other rheumatologic/hematologic active disease) * Anti-coagulants (coumadin, heparin, Eliquis, etc.) * Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) , etc. * Medications that are approved: Steroids (nasal or topical), Aspirin, NSAIDS and Tylenol (avoid day before and day of study visit, Statins, Metformin, Psychiatric drugs other than anti-psychotics (SSRI, tricyclics, benzo), oral contraception pill (OCP)/Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT), Tobacco cessation products (patches/lozenge), Oral contraceptives, Gender- affirming HRT, Testosterone for hypogonadal males.
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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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Mass General Brigham Center for Clinical Investigation
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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