The Effects of Quinoa and Buckwheat on Weight Management and Gut Microbiome

March 30, 2026 updated by: ZEHRA BUYUKTUNCER, Hacettepe University

The Effects of Dietary Quinoa and Buckwheat Consumption on Weight Management and Gut Microbiome

This study aims to compare the effects of quinoa, buckwheat, rice, and bulgur consumption on dietary intake, anthropometric measurements, glycemic response, lipid profile, inflammatory markers, blood pressure, and intestinal microbiome in people with overweight and obesity. The primary hypotheses of the studies were given as follows:

Hypothesis 1:

H1: In people with overweight and obesity, the addition of quinoa and buckwheat to the diet provides weight loss.

H0: In people with overweight and obesity, the addition of quinoa and buckwheat to the diet does not provide body weight loss.

Hypothesis 2:

H2: In people with overweight and obesity, the addition of quinoa and buckwheat to the diet affects glycemic response.

H0: In people with overweight and obesity, the addition of quinoa and buckwheat to the diet does not affect glycemic response.

Hypothesis 3:

H3: In people with overweight and obesity, the addition of quinoa and buckwheat to the diet affects the blood lipid profile.

H0: In people with overweight and obesity, the addition of quinoa and buckwheat to the diet does not affect the blood lipid profile.

Hypothesis 4:

H4: In people with overweight and obesity, the addition of quinoa and buckwheat to the diet changes the composition of the gut microbiome.

H0: In people with overweight and obesity, the addition of quinoa and buckwheat to the diet does not change the composition of the gut microbiome.

Hypothesis 5:

H5: In people with overweight and obesity, the addition of quinoa and buckwheat to the diet increases alpha diversity in the intestinal microbiome.

HO: In people with overweight and obesity, the addition of quinoa and buckwheat to the diet does not increase alpha diversity in the intestinal microbiome.

Hypothesis 6:

H6: In people with overweight and obesity, the addition of quinoa and buckwheat to the diet increases beta diversity in the intestinal microbiome.

HO: In people with overweight and obesity, the addition of quinoa and buckwheat to the diet does not increase beta diversity in the intestinal microbiome.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The study is designed as a randomized, controlled clinical trial in which participants will be allocated into four groups (quinoa, buckwheat, bulgur, and rice groups), each consisting of 31 or 32 pre-obese/obese adults. During the 28-day intervention period, participants' diets were supplemented with 40 g/day of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), bulgur wheat (Triticum durum), or rice (Oryza sativa).

Weekly face-to-face visits were conducted throughout the intervention to collect anthropometric measurements and dietary intake records and to assess intervention compliance and physical activity level.

At baseline and at the end of the intervention, physical examinations were performed, blood and fecal samples were collected, blood pressure was measured, and anthropometric measurements and dietary intake records were evaluated. Serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, glucose, insulin, fructosamine, adiponectin, C-reactive protein, malondialdehyde, uric acid, lipopolysaccharide, TNF-alpha, IL-6, zonulin, and lipopolysaccharides will be analyzed. Additionally, fecal samples will be analyzed to reveal any possible changes in gut microbiome. Given the scarcity of clinical studies in this field, this study is expected to contribute to addressing the lack of high-level clinical evidence in the literature.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

148

Phase

  • 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

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Sıhhiye
      • Ankara, Sıhhiye, Turkey (Türkiye), 06100
        • Hacettepe University

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged between 25 and 45
  • Healthy People
  • Having a body mass index between 25 and 35 kg/m²

Exclusion Criteria:

  • To have a diagnosis of chronic and/or psychiatric illness
  • To have diagnosis of celiac disease
  • To be using antibiotics
  • To be using medication and/or nutritional supplements that can affect body weight
  • To be using medication and/or nutritional supplements that can affect glycemic response
  • To be using medication and/or nutritional supplements that can affect lipid profile
  • To use medication and/or nutritional supplements that can affect intestinal microbiota composition (such as antibiotics, probiotics, prebiotics) in the last three months
  • To have food allergies and/or food intolerances
  • To be a professional athlete
  • To be pregnant or breastfeeding
  • To be in postmenopausal period
  • To have followed a specific diet aimed at reducing body weight in the last 6 months
  • To regularly consume quinoa or buckwheat in the diet
  • To be unable to continue with weekly interviews
  • To show less than 80% compliance with the diet
  • To not give consent for the research

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
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Quinoa Group
Participants' diets were supplemented with 40 g of red quinoa per day for 4 weeks. Participants were instructed to boil red quinoa without adding any other ingredients.
Dietary supplement: quinoa
Participants consumed 40 g/d red quinoa during 4 weeks. Participants were instructed to consume red quinoa by boiling it without any other ingredients.
Experimental: buckwheat group
Participants' diets were supplemented with 40 g of buckwheat per day for 4 weeks. Participants were instructed to boil buckwheat without adding any other ingredients.
Dietary supplement: Buckwheat
Participants consumed 40 g/d of buckwheat during 4 weeks. Participants were instructed to consume buckwheat by boiling it without any other ingredients.
Active Comparator: Rice group
Participants' diets were supplemented with 40 g of rice per day for 4 weeks. Participants were instructed to boil rice without adding any other ingredients.
Dietary supplement: Rice
Participants consumed 40 g/d rice during 4 weeks. Participants were instructed to consume rice by boiling it without any other ingredients.
Active Comparator: Bulgur Wheat Group
Participants' diets were supplemented with 40 g of bulgur wheat per day for 4 weeks. Participants were instructed to boil bulgur wheat without adding any other ingredients.
Dietary supplement: Bulgur wheat
Participants consumed 40 g/d of bulgur wheat during 4 weeks. Participants were instructed to consume bulgur wheat by boiling it without any other ingredients.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Weight loss
Time Frame: From the beginning of the study to the end of the 4-week intervention period (up to 4 weeks), with measurements taken once a week.
Body weight and body composition will be measured with a bioelectrical impedance analysis-based body analyzer.
From the beginning of the study to the end of the 4-week intervention period (up to 4 weeks), with measurements taken once a week.
Blood lipid levels (mg/dL)
Time Frame: At the beginning of the study and at the end of 4-weeks intervention period
Total cholesterol (mg/dL), LDL cholesterol (mg/dL), HDL cholesterol (mg/dL), and triglyceride levels (mg/dL) will be analyzed in blood serum.
At the beginning of the study and at the end of 4-weeks intervention period
Blood glucose levels (mg/dL) during a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) procedure
Time Frame: At the beginning of the study and at the end of the 4-week intervention period, during each assessment, blood samples will be collected at 0. Minutes (fasting) and 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes following the 75 g oral glucose load.
Fasting glucose levels (0.minutes, before the 75 g oral glucose load) and postprandial glucose levels (30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes following the 75 g oral glucose load) will be assessed in blood serum during the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test procedure.
At the beginning of the study and at the end of the 4-week intervention period, during each assessment, blood samples will be collected at 0. Minutes (fasting) and 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes following the 75 g oral glucose load.
Blood insulin levels (µIU/mL) during a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) procedure
Time Frame: At the beginning of the study and at the end of the 4-week intervention period, during each assessment, blood samples will be collected at 0. Minutes (fasting) and 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes following the 75 g oral glucose load.
Fasting insulin levels (0.minutes, before the 75 g oral glucose load) and postprandial insulin levels (30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes following the 75 g oral glucose load) will be assessed in blood serum during the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test procedure.
At the beginning of the study and at the end of the 4-week intervention period, during each assessment, blood samples will be collected at 0. Minutes (fasting) and 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes following the 75 g oral glucose load.
Changes in gut microbiome composition
Time Frame: At the beginning of the study and at the end of 4-week intervention period
Changes in gut microbiome composition will be assessed in fecal samples
At the beginning of the study and at the end of 4-week intervention period
Changes in Alpha Diversity
Time Frame: At the beginning of the study and at the end of 4-week intervention period
Changes in alpha diversity in intestinal microbiota will be evaluated.
At the beginning of the study and at the end of 4-week intervention period
Changes in Beta Diversity
Time Frame: At the beginning of the study and at the end of 4-week intervention period
Changes in Beta Diversity in intestinal microbiota will be evaluated
At the beginning of the study and at the end of 4-week intervention period

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Hacettepe University

Investigators

  • Study Director: Zehra Buyuktuncer, Prof. Dr., Hacettepe 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 (Actual)

January 24, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 17, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

February 8, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 14, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 30, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 7, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 7, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 30, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • KA-19102
  • 20780 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Hacettepe University Scientific Research Committee Unit)

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.

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