Starch to the rescue? new study tests diet hack for brain health
NCT ID NCT07152483
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether eating foods high in resistant starch (a type of fiber) can slow down memory and thinking problems in people who have a high genetic risk for cognitive decline. Seventy adults aged 40 and older with obesity or large waistlines will eat either high-resistant starch foods or regular starch foods for a period. Researchers will track changes in thinking skills, blood and gut health markers, and brain scans to see if the diet makes a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- high-resistant starch staple foods
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple dietary approach to help slow cognitive decline in people at high genetic risk.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 70 participants. It tests a dietary supplement, not a drug, so the effect may be modest or not detectable. The results may not apply to everyone.
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
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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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About 70 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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40 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 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: * Patients aged ≥ 40 years * meta-polygenic risk score (metaPRS) \> 0.4 * Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score ≤ 26 * Central obesity (waist circumference \> 90 cm in males or \> 80 cm in females) or body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 kg/m² * Written informed consent available * Proficient in using smartphones * Willingness to complete all assessments and participate in follow-up Exclusion Criteria: * Known hypersensitivity or allergy to resistant starch * previously diagnosed dementia * Suspected dementia after clinical assessment by study physician at screening visit * Previous history of major head trauma and any intracranial surgery * Intracranial abnormalities, such as intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage and other space occupying lesions * Extrapyramidal symptoms or mental illness which may affect neuropsychological measurement * Severe loss of vision, hearing, or communicative ability * Patients presenting a malignant disease with life expectancy \< 3 years * Participation in an ongoing investigational drug study * The participant or a first-degree relative is currently participating in another clinical trial involving nutritional intervention. Exit Criteria: * Not meet the inclusion criteria * For any poor adherence, not comply with the requirements of the follow-up, or safety reasons determined by investigator * Any adverse or serious adverse events during the study period judged by Investigator
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Second Affilated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine
Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310009, China
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