WHNRC (Western Human Nutrition Research Center) Honey Study

USDA, Western Human Nutrition Research Center

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Satisfaction, Personal; Metabolic Stress; Cognitive Change; Postprandial Glycemia

Treatments: Other: Sucrose; Other: Honey; Other: Sucrose plus almonds; Other: Honey plus almonds

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT06107231

FL118

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this research is to compare two snacks, one with honey and nuts and the other with sugar and nuts, on glucose levels before and after eating these snacks.

The investigators hypothesize that honey and nuts will have an additive effect on the reduction of postprandial glucose response. The investigators further hypothesize that consumption of honey paired with nuts will retain the benefit of sugar consumption in satiety and reduction of metabolic stress.

Full description

Consuming sugar creates a feeling of satiation, and may buffer metabolic stress. However, prolonged postprandial hyperglycemia has been identified as a potential risk factor in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Nuts, which are recommended to be consumed as part of a Mediterranean diet, up to 2 servings per day, have been shown to dramatically reduce postprandial glucose response to carbohydrates. Additionally, honey, which is typically used as an added sugar within a Mediterranean diet pattern, has a lower glycemic index than table sugar and may result in a reduced postprandial glucose response relative to other nutritive sweeteners. However, it is not yet known whether honey can work additively with nuts to further reduce postprandial glucose response over the reduction caused by nuts alone.

Honey has been shown to produce equivalent or greater satiety to regular table sugar and there is some indication that honey can improve immediate/working memory. Therefore, combined consumption of honey and nuts may offer a way to maximize the benefits of carbohydrate consumption on satiety and metabolic stress reduction while minimizing its negative effects on metabolism. However, it is not yet known whether sugars contained in the more complex food matrix of honey, consumed together with a food like nuts can impact satiety and metabolic stress in the way that has been observed for sugar.

Enrollment: 80 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 40 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Women must be pre-menopausal
• Willing to consume snacks that contain honey, table sugar, and tree nuts

Exclusion criteria

• Body Mass Index (BMI) <18.5 or >40
• Allergies to tree nuts
• Current medical diagnoses of chronic diseases including cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases, renal diseases, cancer, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, thyroid disease requiring medication, inflammatory or irritable bowel diseases, or those with recent major surgeries
• No individuals who fall in to the vulnerable categories of adults including those unable to consent, pregnant women, children, or prisoners will be eligible for this study
• Routinely taking medications known to affect glucose response.
• Caffeine and alcohol use will not be excluded, but should be carefully reported by each subject.

Regarding female candidates:

• Post-menopausal
• Women who have been pregnant or nursing within the last 6 months or plan to become pregnant during the trial will be ineligible

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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80 participants in 2 patient groups

Honey alone and honey with almonds, then sucrose alone and sucrose with almonds

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be provided honey alone once each day for 3 days, then honey plus almonds for an additional 3 days while wearing a continuous glucose monitor. After a 14 day wash-out, participants will be provided sucrose alone once each day for 3 days, then sucrose plus almonds for an additional 3 days while wearing a continuous glucose monitor.

Treatment:

Other: Honey plus almonds

Other: Sucrose plus almonds

Other: Sucrose

Other: Honey

Sucrose alone and sucrose with almonds, then honey alone and honey with almonds

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be provided sucrose alone once each day for 3 days, then sucrose plus almonds for an additional 3 days while wearing a continuous glucose monitor. After a 14 day wash-out, participants will be provided honey alone once each day for 3 days, then honey plus almonds for an additional 3 days while wearing a continuous glucose monitor.

Treatment:

Other: Honey plus almonds

Other: Sucrose plus almonds

Other: Sucrose

Other: Honey