Microgreen Consumption for Healthy Aging

Feasibility, Acceptability, Tolerability, and Potential Health Effects of Microgreen Consumption in Healthy Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Microgreens are an emerging horticultural food crop with potential to improve human health. Previous research suggests they have broad consumer acceptance and that the micronutrient and bioactive compound levels are higher than that of their mature counterparts. To date, no studies have explored the feasibility of microgreen consumption, gastrointestinal tolerance of microgreen consumption, or their potential health impacts in humans. Therefore, the overall goal of this study is to explore the feasibility and acceptability of daily microgreen consumption, gastrointestinal tolerability, and potential health impacts of red cabbage and red beet microgreens in healthy middle-aged/older men and postmenopausal women - a population inherently at risk for chronic disease, e.g. cardiovascular disease.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy; Menopause; Aging
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Red cabbage microgreens; Other: Red beet microgreens

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 26
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Colorado
    • Fort Collins, Colorado, United States, 80523-1571
      • Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 45 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male or postmenopausal
• Aged 45-70

Exclusion Criteria:

• Cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, neuropathy, thrombosis, cancer, gastrointestinal, kidney, liver, lung, or pancreatic disease
• Taking medication for high cholesterol, triglycerides, or blood sugar, or are taking testosterone medications
• Blood pressure ≥ 130/80 mm Hg, triglyceride levels > 200 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels ≥ 160 mg/dL, total cholesterol levels ≥ 240 mg/dL, and/or hemoglobin A1c ≥ 6.5%
• Weight change ≥ 3 kg (6.6 lb.) in the past 3 months prior to starting the study, are actively trying to lose weight, or are unwilling to remain weight stable throughout the study
• Have a BMI less than 18.5 or greater than 30 kg/m2
• Are not willing to maintain normal eating/drinking and exercise habits over the duration of the study
• Currently smoke cigarettes or have a history of smoking cigarettes in the past 12 months
• Taking antibiotics or have taken them within one month of starting the study
• Binge and/or heavy drinker (>4 drinks on any given occasion and/or >14 drinks/week for men)
• Have allergies or contraindication to study foods, procedures, or procedure supplies

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Red cabbage microgreens; 2 cups of fresh red cabbage microgreens per day	Other: Red cabbage microgreens; 2 cups per day
Experimental: Red beet microgreens; 2 cups of fresh red beet microgreens per day	Other: Red beet microgreens; 2 cups per day

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of participants retained	The number of participants retained versus lost to follow-up throughout the entire study	Baseline to 6 weeks
Adherence to the intervention	Adherence will be determined for each 2-week microgreen intervention through a daily microgreen consumption log	Baseline to 2 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Gastrointestinal symptom self-assessment	Determine the effects on gastrointestinal symptoms using a validated questionnaire for each 2-week microgreen intervention	Baseline to 2 weeks
Gastrointestinal health	Determine the effects on gastrointestinal health using a daily bowel movement log for each 2-week microgreen intervention	Baseline to 2 weeks
Blood pressure	Determine the effects on brachial and aortic blood pressure measured by SphygmoCor for each 2-week microgreen intervention	Baseline to 2 weeks
Augmentation index	Determine the effects on augmentation index measured by SphygmoCor for each 2-week microgreen intervention	Baseline to 2 weeks
Microbiota modulation	Use of 16s rRNA sequencing of stool samples to determine the effects of each 2-week microgreen intervention on microbial populations	Baseline to 2 weeks
Changes in plasma metabolites	Use of mass spectrometry to determine the effects on plasma metabolites of bioactive compounds for each 2-week microgreen intervention	Baseline to 2 weeks
Acceptability	Determine acceptability and feasibility of daily microgreen consumption through qualitative interviews with study participants at completion of the 6-week study	6-week visit

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Colorado State University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 16, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 22, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): November 30, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 12, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 21, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): January 27, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 14, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 13, 2020
• Last Verified: September 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: MG2019

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No