Quorn in Community Health Experiment (QUICHE)

In overweight individuals (BMI > 27.5 kg/m2), does daily consumption of mycoprotein containing Quorn Food products lower blood cholesterol compared with daily meat/fish consumption?

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Overweight and Obesity
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Quorn Foods products; Dietary supplement: Meat/fish products

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 82
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Devon
    • Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom, EX1 2LU
      • University of Exeter

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18-70 years old
• BMI >27.5 kg/m2
• Non allergic to penicillin/mycoprotein
• Moderate levels of physical activity or below (self-identified; NDNS servey)
• Omnivores
• Not currently using cholesterol lowering medication

Exclusion Criteria:

• <18 or >70 years old
• BMI <27.5 kg/m2
• Allergies to penicillin/mycoprotein
• Heavy exercisers (self idenfiied)
• Vegetarian/vegans
• Currently using cholesterol lowering medication

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Quorn Food products	Dietary supplement: Quorn Foods products; 180 g mycoprotein (wet weight; corresponding to 45 g dry weight) per day (equates to approx. 215 g Quorn Foods products, depending on the product)
Active Comparator: Meat/fish products	Dietary supplement: Meat/fish products; Standard meat/fish products matched to Quorn group for protein intake

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Postabsorptive blood cholesterol (free, total, LDL, HDL) concentrations	Test for intervention vs control differences in postabsorptive blood cholesterol levels (mMol) pre and post intervention	4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Postprandial blood cholesterol concentration	Test for intervention vs control differences in postprandial blood cholesterol levels (mMol) pre and post intervention	3 hours
Fingerprick blood glucose concentration	Test for intervention vs control differences in blood glucose concentration (mMol) in postabsorptive and postprandial state	4 weeks
Satiety	Test for intervention vs control differences in satiety using a 10 centimetre 'Satiety Visual Analogue Scale' ratings, anchored by minimum to maximum response for a given aspect of satiety, where 0 cm is minimum and 10 cm is maximum	4 weeks
Hedonic visual analogue scale	Test for intervention vs control differences and changes in hedonic response using 10 cm 'Hedonic Visual Analogue Scale' ratings, anchored by minimum to maximum response for a given aspect of hedonic response, where 0 cm is minimum and 10 cm is maximum	4 weeks
Gastrointestinal side-effects	Test for intervention vs control differences in tolerance of diet	Once weekly, over 4 weeks
Fingerprick blood c-peptide	Test for intervention vs control differences in C-peptide concentration (ng/ml) in postabsorptive and postprandial state	4 weeks
Fingerprick blood triglyceride concentration	Test for intervention vs control differences in blood triglyceride concentration (mMol) in postabsorptive and postprandial state	4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Exeter
• Collaborators: NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility; Marlow Foods Ltd
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Benjamin T Wall, PhD, University of Exeter

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 9, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 17, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): December 17, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 22, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 25, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): February 26, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 22, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 21, 2023
• Last Verified: March 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Body Weight; Overweight
• Other Study ID Numbers: 201021-B-02 Wall

Drug and device information, study documents

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