Impact of 60 Days Powdered Tart Cherry Supplementation on Metabolic Syndrome

July 28, 2025 updated by: Angela Hillman, Ohio University
Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is a growing health concern, with up to 25% of the worlds population having the syndrome. MetSyn is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes development, and is independently associated with all-cause mortality, making it an important disease target. The primary treatment for MetSyn is exercise and weight loss, along with medically necessary treatment. Exercise, along with dietary changes such as increased fiber and polyphenol intake can positively impact many of the metabolic abnormalities seen with MetSyn. For example, polyphenols have been shown to decrease lipid concentration and improved glucose clearance as well as decreased oxidative stress and inflammation. Powdered tart cherry capsules, which contain the skin of the fruit, provides polysaccharides (fiber) that would likely act as a substrate for gut bacteria degradation, providing energy substrates and barrier integrity to the colonocytes and increasing the bioavailability of the polyphenols to other cells in the body. However there have been no long-term investigations into the use of powdered tart cherry supplements in MetSyn, therefore we aim to determine if 60 days tart cherry supplementation modify criteria for MetSyn in currently diagnosed individuals including body mass, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood lipid levels and blood glucose control.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

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 (Actual)

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.
25

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 Locations

  • United States
    • Ohio
      • Athens, Ohio, United States, 45701
        • Ohio University Exercise Physiology Lab

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

14 years to 56 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome by a physician or meet the diagnostic criteria: Waist circumference greater than 40 inches (men) or greater than 35 inches (women), High blood pressure (greater than 130/80) or taking medication for high blood pressure, High triglycerides (greater than 150 mg/dL) or low HDL (less than 40 for men, less than 50 for women), High fasting blood glucose (100-126 mg/dL) or diagnosed as pre-diabetic
  • Age 25-60

Exclusion Criteria:

  • currently taking medication for glucose or lipid control, such as metformin and/or statin
  • currently using anti-inflammatory medications & have not used corticosteroids in the last two months
  • diagnosed with or currently being treated for an inflammatory condition
  • major organ system impairment (heart failure, renal failure, severe impairment of respiratory function)
  • currently a smoker or quit less than 12 months ago

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: Double

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: tart cherry
two capsules daily for 60 days
Dietary supplement: Powdered tart cherry
500 mg freeze-dried tart cherry per capsule
Placebo Comparator: placebo
two capsules daily for 60 days
Dietary supplement: Placebo
500 mg colored cornstarch per capsule

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
Time Frame
Change in baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Time Frame: baseline, 60 days post supplmentation
baseline, 60 days post supplmentation
Change in fasting high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol
Time Frame: baseline, 30 days post supplementation, 60 days post supplmentation
baseline, 30 days post supplementation, 60 days post supplmentation
Change in fasting triglyceride levels
Time Frame: baseline, 30 days post supplementation, 60 days post supplmentation
baseline, 30 days post supplementation, 60 days post supplmentation
Change in fasting blood glucose level
Time Frame: baseline, 30 days post supplementation, 60 days post supplmentation
baseline, 30 days post supplementation, 60 days post supplmentation
Change in waist circumference
Time Frame: baseline, 60 days post supplmentation
baseline, 60 days post supplmentation
Change in body fat distribution
Time Frame: baseline, 60 days post supplmentation
baseline, 60 days post supplmentation
Change in erythrocyte sedimentation rate
Time Frame: baseline, 30 days post supplementation, 60 days post supplmentation
baseline, 30 days post supplementation, 60 days post supplmentation

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.
Ohio University

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 (Actual)

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.
April 6, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

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.
May 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

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.
July 25, 2025

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).
November 7, 2022

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.
November 7, 2022

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.
November 14, 2022

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.
July 30, 2025

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.
July 28, 2025

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.
May 1, 2024

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.
  • 20-F-16

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

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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.

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