Effects of Blueberry on Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Syndrome

Laval University

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Gut Microbiota; Metabolic Syndrome

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: 50 g of blueberry powder, taken daily for 8 weeks; Dietary Supplement: 50g of placebo blueberry powder, taken daily for 8 weeks

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03266055

BLEUET 2017-135

Details and patient eligibility

About

There is growing evidence that nutritional intervention with dietary polyphenols can positively modulate the gut microbiota to improve cardiometabolic health. Whether the beneficial effects of blueberries on obesity and the metabolic syndrome can be linked to their potential impact on the gut microbiota and intestinal integrity remains speculative at this time. Moreover, the mechanisms of action underlying health benefits associated to blueberry consumption are still unknown. The investigators are thus proposing to combine the study of metagenomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics to test whether a prebiotic activity of highbush blueberries can play a role in the prevention of obesity-linked metabolic syndrome in a clinical setting.

Enrollment: 59 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 55 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Men and premenopause women in good health
• Caucasians
• At least one of the following : BMI between 25 and 40 kg/m2 or Waist circumference ≥ 80 cm for women and ≥ 94 cm for men
• At least one of the following : TG ≥ 1.35 mmol/L or fasting insulinemia ≥ 42 pmol/L

Exclusion criteria

• Metabolic disorders (hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia)
• Regular use of medication affecting study parameters
• Use of natural health product in the last 3 months
• Use of antibiotics in the last 3 months
• Nicotine users
• Allergy or intolerance for blueberries
• Blueberry taste aversion
• More than 2 alcohol drinks par day
• Particular dietary habits (vegetarism, gluten-free diet, cetogenic diet...)
• Weight change of more than 5% in the last 3 months
• Surgery in the last 3 months or planed during the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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59 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Blueberry powder

Experimental group

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: 50 g of blueberry powder, taken daily for 8 weeks

Blueberry placebo powder

Placebo Comparator group

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: 50g of placebo blueberry powder, taken daily for 8 weeks