Supplementation of Gut-brain Axis (GLP-1)-Activating Carbohydrates for Increasing Satiety in Adolescents With Obesity (GUT BOOST)

September 15, 2026 updated by: Sara Naramore, Indiana University
Glucagon-like peptide (GLP1) drugs have quickly become a standard treatment for the adults with obesity. These drugs target the appetite control center of the brain, which clows the rate of stomach emptying, and makes a person feel full. The researchers are exploring this response in children. This study is being conducted to better understand how two food carbohydrates affect the appetite control center of the brain. The investigators want to see if a special carbohydrate powder that is mixed with 1 cup of water twice a day will appetite.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist drugs, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, have quickly become a standard treatment for adults with obesity. Adolescents, on the other hand, have limited access to FDA-approved medications for obesity, even though semaglutide has been shown to lead to significant improvements in body mass index and co-morbidities of obesity for youth over age 12. Obesity is defined as a body mass index greater than the 95th percentile for age and sex. Moreover, GLP-1 agonists are effective in reducing appetite and food intake and result in notable weight reduction. These drugs trigger an innate physiological system of the body that, among other targets, signals the appetite control center of the brain, the hypothalamus, to convey a feeling of fullness, as well as to slow the rate of stomach emptying. This "gut-brain axis" communication system is naturally activated by digested macronutrients through their interaction with the enteroendocrine cells, particularly the L-cells which are found in greater abundance in the distal small intestine (ileum) and proximal colon. For over 15 years, the Hamaker Lab at Purdue University has researched the potential of ileal-digesting carbohydrates, such as certain types of starch, in activating L-cells to secrete GLP-1 as a dietary route towards appetite control. In long-term feeding rat and mouse trials, the investigators have shown ileal activation of the gut-brain axis and sustained increase in plasma GLP-1 that coincided with reduction in food intake and weight management using developed methods to target starch digestion to the ileum (a starch-based fabricated microsphere and precise a-amylase inhibition to slow starch digestion. Additionally, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by dietary fiber fermentation by gut microbes trigger secretion of GLP-1 for satiation. SCFAs also reduce gut inflammation that is linked to obesity. Of note, there are other gut hormones secreted by L-cells (e.g., Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide (GIP), Peptide YY (PYY), oxyntomodulin) that influence the gut-brain axis for appetite modulation.

Interestingly, in mouse trials with fabricated ileal-digesting carbohydrates for gut-brain axis activation, the investigators also found reduction in fatty livers of obese mice.

Even though GLP-1 agonist drugs are highly effective in reducing weight in individuals with obesity and lowering indices of associated health conditions (e.g., Hemoglobin A1c for prediabetes/diabetes), most individuals cannot remain on the medication indefinitely due to expense and side effects, and some simply prefer not to take the weight-reducing drugs, especially at a younger age. It is, therefore, timely to test a dietary approach to activate the innate GLP-1-secreting cells in the gastrointestinal tract, through a safe and inexpensive science-based carbohydrate supplement the investigators have tested and partly optimized.

For the current proposal, the investigators hypothesize that a mixture of ileal and colonic gut brain axis (GLP-1)-activating carbohydrates given as a supplement for two months to adolescents with obesity will increase plasma GLP-1 levels, increase satiation, decrease caloric intake, reduce body mass index percentile (BMI%ile), attenuate gut inflammation, and lower liver fat.

Our overall objective is to test a combination of two food carbohydrates designed to activate the gut-brain axis through GLP-1 release for physiologic appetite suppression. The investigators will examine the central hypothesis that carbohydrates that modulate the gut-brain axis represent an efficacious strategy by which to reduce appetite and body weight in adolescents with obesity.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

62

Phase

  • Phase 2

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 Backup

  • Name: Brian DeBosch, MD, PhD
  • Phone Number: 317-944-3774
  • Email: bdebosch@iu.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Indiana
      • Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202
        • Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health

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

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Children ages 12 to ≤18 years and older with obesity, a BMI ≥95% for age and sex
  • English-speaking subjects
  • Children who have been on stable dosing of medications for 3 months which secondarily lead to weight gain, weight loss, or appetite suppression
  • Children able to stay on a stable dose of all concomitant medications throughout the study treatment period

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Females who are or planning to become pregnant or are breastfeeding
  • Children with malabsorptive disorders including inflammatory bowel disease, Celiac disease, and short bowel syndrome
  • Children with any intestinal resection
  • Children with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
  • Children taking any medications or supplements for weight loss within 30 days prior to enrollment in the study
  • Subject has any condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would compromise the well-being of the subject or would compromise the study or prevent the subject from meeting or performing study requirements.

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: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: gut-brain axis (GLP-1)-activating food carbohydrate supplement (raw corn starch + raw potato starch)
Intervention with GLP-1-activating carbohydrate
Drug: gut-brain axis (GLP-1)-activating food carbohydrate
The primary study intervention will be providing 2-months of supplementation of either a gut-brain axis (GLP-1)-activating food carbohydrate supplement (raw corn starch + raw potato starch). Supplements will be provided as 10 gram (2 tsp) sachets containing the test or control food carbohydrates, a viscous agent (guar gum), and a fruit flavoring to be mixed with 200 ml (6.6 oz) water and consumed at breakfast and 2 hours (+/- 60 minutes) prior to dinner daily.
Other Names:
  • GLP-1-activating carbohydrate
Placebo Comparator: starch-based fast-digesting placebo control (commercial maltodextrin)
Intervention with starch-based placebo
Other: starch-based placebo control (commercial maltodextrin)
Supplements will be provided as 10 gram (2 tsp) sachets containing the placebo control food carbohydrates, a viscous agent (guar gum), and a fruit flavoring to be mixed with 200 ml (6.6 oz) water and consumed at breakfast and 2 hours (+/- 60 minutes) prior to dinner daily.
Other Names:
  • Placebo starch

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Serum GLP-1 level effect on satiation and caloric intake
Time Frame: 2 months
Significant and sustained elevation of postprandial plasma GLP-1 in participants taking the GLP-1-activating carbohydrate compared to the placebo control
2 months
Changes in score on the Intuitive Eating Scale for Early Adolescents
Time Frame: 2 months
Higher scores on the Intuitive Eating Scale for Early Adolescents in those receiving the GLP-1-activating carbohydrate. This reflects a greater satiation effect and behavior change surrounding satiety.
2 months
Changes in caloric intake
Time Frame: 2 months
Lower caloric intake from the 3-day food log for those consuming the GLP-1-activating carbohydrate
2 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percent change in BMI and weight
Time Frame: 2 months
Decrease in body mass index percentile (BMI percentile) and weight
2 months
Improvement in fecal calprotectin
Time Frame: 2 months
Decrease in fecal calprotectin, an indicator of intestinal inflammation, a common condition in obesity
2 months
Improvement in serum liver enzymes
Time Frame: 2 months
Decrease in ALT and AST indicating decreased hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis
2 months
Changes in hepatic steatosis and fibrosis on Fibroscan
Time Frame: 2 months
Decrease in liver fat (CAP score) and liver stiffness as measured by transient elastography
2 months
Percent change in body fat mass
Time Frame: 2 months
Decrease in total body fat mass as determined by DEXA scan
2 months
Changes in gut microbiome composition
Time Frame: 2 months
For the gut microbiome, the investigators expect to see greater short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including butyrate, that is related to lower inflammation and an increase in certain beneficial SCFA-producing bacteria (e.g., families Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroidaceae)
2 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Indiana University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Sara K Naramore, MD, Indiana 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)

October 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 15, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 15, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • GUT BOOST

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

IPD information available upon request

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

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.

Subscribe