Ultra-Processing and Nutritional Quality: Glycemic Response, Appetite, Dietary Energy Intake, and Eating Rate (UPGRADE)

September 2, 2026 updated by: Vered Kaufman Shriqui, Ariel University

Interactions Between Food Processing Level, Nutrition Quality, Nutrition Security and Anxiety in Israeli Adults: Influence on Dietary Intake

The UPGRADE Study will examine how food-processing level and nutritional quality affect energy intake, eating rate, satiety, and glycemic response. In a randomized-order crossover design, each participant will consume three laboratory test meals: low processing/high nutritional quality, high processing/high nutritional quality, and high processing/low nutritional quality. Food intake and eating rate will be measured using a Universal Eating Monitor, alongside satiety, glycemic response, and energy intake during the remainder of the day.

The study will also explore whether anxiety and nutrition insecurity influence these responses. Comparisons between participants in Israel and the United States will assess whether background Mediterranean versus Western dietary patterns modify meal responses. The high-processing, low-nutritional-quality meal is expected to result in greater energy intake and eating rate, lower satiety, and a more pronounced glycemic response. Findings will inform future trials and dietary recommendations concerning ultra-processed foods and nutritional quality.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

Detailed Description

The UPGRADE Study will examine how food-processing level and nutritional quality independently influence eating behavior, energy intake, satiety, and postprandial glycemic response. Using a randomized-order crossover design, each participant will consume three test meals under laboratory conditions: (1) low processing and high nutritional quality; (2) high processing and high nutritional quality; and (3) high processing and low nutritional quality. This design will enable planned comparisons of the effect of processing level when nutritional quality is held constant and the effect of nutritional quality when processing level is held constant.

Each meal will be served on a Universal Eating Monitor, which continuously records the amount and rate of food consumption. Additionally, meal time will be recorded during each meal to allow overall meal time calculation. Primary outcomes will include energy intake during the test meal, meal duration, eating rate, postprandial satiety, and glycemic response. Dietary intake during the remainder of the day will also be assessed to determine whether the test meals affect subsequent energy intake.

The study will further investigate whether anxiety and nutrition insecurity are associated with eating behavior and whether they modify responses to meals differing in processing level and nutritional quality. Participants with elevated anxiety are hypothesized to consume more energy during the laboratory meals and throughout the remainder of the day.

The study will be conducted in Israel, permitting exploratory comparisons between populations exposed to different background dietary patterns. The predominantly Mediterranean-oriented dietary pattern in Israel may influence participants' acute responses to the experimental meals.

It is hypothesized that the high-processing, low-nutritional-quality meal will produce the highest energy intake and eating rate, the lowest satiety, the greatest subsequent energy intake, and the most pronounced glycemic response. By distinguishing the effects of food processing from those of nutritional quality, this study will provide preliminary mechanistic evidence to inform future randomized controlled trials and dietary recommendations concerning ultra-processed foods, diet quality, and chronic disease risk.

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.
40

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 Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Israel
      • Ariel, Israel, 474000
        • Recruiting
        • Ariel University
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Mona Boaz, PhD

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

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • body mass index (BMI) 20-40 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

  • pregnant nor lactating
  • people with food allergies of food intolerance

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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: Meal Sequence 1: LP-HNQ → HP-HNQ → HP-LNQ
Participants will receive the low-processing/high-nutritional-quality meal in Period 1, the high-processing/high-nutritional-quality meal in Period 2, and the high-processing/low-nutritional-quality meal in Period 3. At each laboratory visit, food intake and eating rate will be recorded using the Universal Eating Monitor; satiety, postprandial glycemic response, and subsequent dietary intake will also be assessed.
Other: Test Meals Differing in Processing Level and Nutritional Quality

Interventions: Three distinct meal interventions and six randomized sequence arms. The six arms differ only in intervention order. The meals are:

LP-HNQ Meal: Low-processing, high-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions. HP-HNQ Meal: High-processing, high-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions. HP-LNQ Meal: High-processing, low-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions.
Experimental: LP-HNQ → HP-LNQ → HP-HNQ
Participants will receive the low-processing/high-nutritional-quality meal in Period 1, the high-processing/low-nutritional-quality meal in Period 2, and the high-processing/high-nutritional-quality meal in Period 3. At each laboratory visit, food intake and eating rate will be recorded using the Universal Eating Monitor; satiety, postprandial glycemic response, and subsequent dietary intake will also be assessed.
Other: Test Meals Differing in Processing Level and Nutritional Quality

Interventions: Three distinct meal interventions and six randomized sequence arms. The six arms differ only in intervention order. The meals are:

LP-HNQ Meal: Low-processing, high-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions. HP-HNQ Meal: High-processing, high-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions. HP-LNQ Meal: High-processing, low-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions.
Experimental: HP-HNQ → LP-HNQ → HP-LNQ
Participants will receive the high-processing/high-nutritional-quality meal in Period 1, the low-processing/high-nutritional-quality meal in Period 2, and the high-processing/low-nutritional-quality meal in Period 3. At each laboratory visit, food intake and eating rate will be recorded using the Universal Eating Monitor; satiety, postprandial glycemic response, and subsequent dietary intake will also be assessed.
Other: Test Meals Differing in Processing Level and Nutritional Quality

Interventions: Three distinct meal interventions and six randomized sequence arms. The six arms differ only in intervention order. The meals are:

LP-HNQ Meal: Low-processing, high-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions. HP-HNQ Meal: High-processing, high-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions. HP-LNQ Meal: High-processing, low-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions.
Experimental: HP-HNQ → HP-LNQ → LP-HNQ
Participants will receive the high-processing/high-nutritional-quality meal in Period 1, the high-processing/low-nutritional-quality meal in Period 2, and the low-processing/high-nutritional-quality meal in Period 3. At each laboratory visit, food intake and eating rate will be recorded using the Universal Eating Monitor; satiety, postprandial glycemic response, and subsequent dietary intake will also be assessed.
Other: Test Meals Differing in Processing Level and Nutritional Quality

Interventions: Three distinct meal interventions and six randomized sequence arms. The six arms differ only in intervention order. The meals are:

LP-HNQ Meal: Low-processing, high-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions. HP-HNQ Meal: High-processing, high-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions. HP-LNQ Meal: High-processing, low-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions.
Experimental: HP-LNQ → LP-HNQ → HP-HNQ
Participants will receive the high-processing/low-nutritional-quality meal in Period 1, the low-processing/high-nutritional-quality meal in Period 2, and the high-processing/high-nutritional-quality meal in Period 3. At each laboratory visit, food intake and eating rate will be recorded using the Universal Eating Monitor; satiety, postprandial glycemic response, and subsequent dietary intake will also be assessed.
Other: Test Meals Differing in Processing Level and Nutritional Quality

Interventions: Three distinct meal interventions and six randomized sequence arms. The six arms differ only in intervention order. The meals are:

LP-HNQ Meal: Low-processing, high-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions. HP-HNQ Meal: High-processing, high-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions. HP-LNQ Meal: High-processing, low-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions.
Experimental: HP-LNQ → HP-HNQ → LP-HNQ
Participants will receive the high-processing/low-nutritional-quality meal in Period 1, the high-processing/high-nutritional-quality meal in Period 2, and the low-processing/high-nutritional-quality meal in Period 3. At each laboratory visit, food intake and eating rate will be recorded using the Universal Eating Monitor; satiety, postprandial glycemic response, and subsequent dietary intake will also be assessed.
Other: Test Meals Differing in Processing Level and Nutritional Quality

Interventions: Three distinct meal interventions and six randomized sequence arms. The six arms differ only in intervention order. The meals are:

LP-HNQ Meal: Low-processing, high-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions. HP-HNQ Meal: High-processing, high-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions. HP-LNQ Meal: High-processing, low-nutritional-quality test meal consumed under standardized laboratory conditions.

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
Total meal duration
Time Frame: During each test meal, from placement of the meal tray on the table until the participant indicates that they have finished eating and leaves the table (approximately 5-20 minutes; assessed once per test meal).
Total meal duration, expressed in minutes and seconds, will be determined from the video recording as the elapsed time between placement of the meal tray on the table and the participant indicating that they have finished eating and leaving the table.
During each test meal, from placement of the meal tray on the table until the participant indicates that they have finished eating and leaves the table (approximately 5-20 minutes; assessed once per test meal).
Total energy intake in a test meal
Time Frame: During each test meal (approximately 5-20 minutes; assessed once per test meal).
At each laboratory visit, participants will receive one of the test meals. Total energy intake (kcal) will be calculated by subtracting the post-meal weight from the pre-meal weight of each food item, multiplying the amount consumed (g) by the item's energy density (kcal/g), and summing the energy consumed across all meal items.
During each test meal (approximately 5-20 minutes; assessed once per test meal).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Self-reported level of satiety
Time Frame: At each laboratory visit: immediately before the test meal, at meal termination, and 60 minutes after meal termination (assessment period of approximately 60-80 minutes).
Satiety will be assessed using a 10-point numerical visual analogue scale ranging from 1 ("not full at all") to 10 ("extremely full"). Higher scores indicate greater perceived satiety.
At each laboratory visit: immediately before the test meal, at meal termination, and 60 minutes after meal termination (assessment period of approximately 60-80 minutes).
Blood glucose level
Time Frame: Measures will be taken at each lab visit at time 0 (prior to consuming the meal) and at times 30, 60 90 and 120 minutes after the meal.
Blood glucose levels will be measured by capillary fingerstick using a safety lancet, tested with a glucometer (Freestyle Optium Neo (Abbot ©).
Measures will be taken at each lab visit at time 0 (prior to consuming the meal) and at times 30, 60 90 and 120 minutes after the meal.
Height
Time Frame: Once at the first laboratory visit (baseline), between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.; measurement takes approximately 5 minutes.
Standing height will be measured without shoes, to the nearest 0.1 cm, using a calibrated wall-mounted stadiometer. Participants will stand upright with their head positioned in the Frankfort horizontal plane. Two measurements will be obtained, and their mean will be used in the analysis. If the two measurements differ by more than 0.5 cm, a third measurement will be obtained.
Once at the first laboratory visit (baseline), between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.; measurement takes approximately 5 minutes.
Weight
Time Frame: Once at the first laboratory visit (baseline), between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.; measurement takes approximately 5 minutes.
Body weight will be measured without shoes and while wearing light clothing, to the nearest 0.1 kg, using the InBody 770 body-composition analyzer. Participants will stand upright and remain still during the measurement.
Once at the first laboratory visit (baseline), between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.; measurement takes approximately 5 minutes.
Anxiety
Time Frame: Once at the first laboratory visit (baseline); the questionnaire assesses symptoms experienced during the preceding two weeks and takes approximately 2-5 minutes to complete.
Anxiety will be measured using the Hebrew Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7 scale (Löwe, Decker & Müller et al, 2008). Participants rate how frequently they experienced each symptom during the preceding two weeks on a scale from 0 ("not at all") to 3 ("nearly every day"). Item scores are summed to produce a total score ranging from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety symptom severity. Scores of 5, 10, and 15 represent thresholds for mild, moderate, and severe anxiety symptoms, respectively.
Once at the first laboratory visit (baseline); the questionnaire assesses symptoms experienced during the preceding two weeks and takes approximately 2-5 minutes to complete.
Household food insecurity risk
Time Frame: Once at the first laboratory visit (baseline); the questionnaire assesses experiences during the preceding 12 months and takes approximately 2-5 minutes to complete.
Household food insecurity risk will be assessed using the Hunger Vital Sign™, a validated two-item screening tool derived from the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module. Participants will report whether each statement was "often true," "sometimes true," or "never true" during the preceding 12 months. A positive screen-indicating risk of household food insecurity-will be defined as a response of "often true" or "sometimes true" to either or both items. Participants responding "never true" to both items will be classified as not at risk (Hager et al., 2010).
Once at the first laboratory visit (baseline); the questionnaire assesses experiences during the preceding 12 months and takes approximately 2-5 minutes to complete.
Adherence to the Israeli Mediterranean diet pattern
Time Frame: At baseline, before the first test-meal session. The I-MEDAS assesses habitual current dietary intake using item-specific daily or weekly consumption frequencies; it does not employ one uniform retrospective recall period.
Adherence will be assessed using the 17-item Israel Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (I-MEDAS), adapted to reflect the Israeli Mediterranean dietary pattern and national dietary recommendations. Each item is scored 0 or 1 according to whether the specified dietary criterion is met. Scores are summed to produce a total score ranging from 0 to 17, with higher scores indicating greater adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern (Abu-Saad et al., 2019).
At baseline, before the first test-meal session. The I-MEDAS assesses habitual current dietary intake using item-specific daily or weekly consumption frequencies; it does not employ one uniform retrospective recall period.

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.
Ariel University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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.
September 1, 2026

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.
September 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.
September 1, 2028

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).
August 30, 2026

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.
September 2, 2026

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.
September 9, 2026

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 9, 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 2, 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.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • AU-HEA-MB-20241216
  • NM-8614-24M (Other Grant/Funding Number: BARD- The Unites States-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared because the informed consent and ethics approval did not include provisions for sharing participant-level data with external researchers. In addition, the relatively small study sample and the sensitive nature of the collected health and dietary information may create a risk of participant re-identification, even after de-identification. Study findings will be reported in aggregate form.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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