Modifying Diet to Improve Gut Microbiome

September 14, 2026 updated by: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute

Modifying Diet and the Gut Microbiota to Reduce Obesity and Health Disparities

The investigators will conduct a 2-arm randomized controlled pilot, feasibility feeding study in which 28 participants will be randomized to receive either a calorie-restricted Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet or a calorie-restricted standard American diet provided by the study for 4 weeks. Participants will be non-Hispanic black or white, generally healthy females (14 black, 14 white). The investigators will collect fecal samples at multiple time points before, during, and after the dietary intervention to analyze for changes in the gut microbiota and functional-level metabolic products. This work will be led by an interdisciplinary team including expertise in bio-behavioral science, microbiology, nutrition science, bioinformatics, and biostatistics all with cross-cutting expertise in health disparities, prevention research, nutrition, the gut microbiota, inflammation and other biomarkers. The rationale for the proposed research is that once the interactions between race, diet, and the gut microbiota are more fully understood, targeted diet modifications may provide new and innovative approaches for the prevention and treatment of obesity and obesity-related diseases.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
28

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Florida
      • Tampa, Florida, United States, 33612
        • Moffit Cancer Center
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Tiffany Carson, PhD
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • female
  • non-Hispanic, black or white
  • age 19-65 years
  • BMI >= 30 kg/m^2
  • able to visit Bionutrition Unit daily

Exclusion Criteria:

  • gastrointestinal (GI) conditions i.e., irritable bowel, diverticulitis, peptic ulcers, Crohn's, GI cancers, and adenatomous polyps
  • antibiotic or probiotic use in the previous 90 days
  • tobacco use
  • heavy alcohol consumption
  • major medical conditions (e.g., renal disease, diabetes, cancer)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: DASH diet
calorie-restricted DASH diet (25% fat; 57% carbohydrate; 18% protein; 34 g fiber
Behavioral: DASH diet
brief description
Active Comparator: standard American diet
calorie-restricted standard American diet (35% fat; 51% carbohydrate; %15 protein; 14 g fiber
Behavioral: standard American diet
describe

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mean Weight Change of Participants
Time Frame: Baseline to day 28
Weight change as measured by a scale in kilograms at multiple time points will be calculated and averaged.
Baseline to day 28
Mean Weight Change of Participants
Time Frame: Day 28 to Day 42
Weight change as measured by a scale in kilograms at multiple time points will be calculated and averaged.
Day 28 to Day 42
Mean Weight Change of Participants
Time Frame: Baseline to day 42
Weight change as measured by a scale in kilograms at multiple time points will be calculated and averaged.
Baseline to day 42
Diet-specific changes in secondary bile acid
Time Frame: Baseline to day 28
The investigators will calculate changes in cholic acid in milligrams.
Baseline to day 28
Diet-specific changes in secondary bile acid
Time Frame: day 28 to day 42
The investigators will calculate changes in cholic acid in milligrams.
day 28 to day 42
Diet-specific changes in secondary bile acid
Time Frame: baseline to day 42
The investigators will calculate changes in cholic acid in milligrams.
baseline to day 42
Diet-specific changes in inflammatory marker
Time Frame: baseline to day 28
The investigators will calculate changes in c-reactive protein in mg/L.
baseline to day 28
Diet-specific changes in inflammatory marker
Time Frame: day 28 to day 42
The investigators will calculate changes in c-reactive protein in mg/L.
day 28 to day 42
Diet-specific changes in inflammatory marker
Time Frame: baseline to day 42
The investigators will calculate changes in c-reactive protein in mg/L.
baseline to day 42
Diet-specific changes in short chain fatty acids
Time Frame: baseline to day 28
The investigators will calculate changes in acetic acid in mmol/L
baseline to day 28
Diet-specific changes in short chain fatty acids
Time Frame: day 28 to day 42
The investigators will calculate changes in acetic acid in mmol/L
day 28 to day 42
Diet-specific changes in short chain fatty acids
Time Frame: baseline to day 42
The investigators will calculate changes in acetic acid in mmol/L
baseline to day 42

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Tiffany L Carson, PhD, Moffitt Cancer Center

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 1, 2027

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 25, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 19, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 23, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 14, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB-300003207

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings