Impact of Beef on Metabolites and Inflammation
Phase: NA
Conditions: Healthy
Sponsor: Montana State University

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Impact of Beef on Metabolites and Inflammation 
Dr. Mary Miles 
NCT #: 05460754 
July 13, 2022 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Study Protocol: 
The purpose of this study is to identify metabolic differences in response to consumption 
of organic grass-fed compared to conventional beef on a wide array of blood borne nutrients 
including amino acids, lipids, bile acids, and hundreds of other metabolites. This comprehensive 
analysis is expected to differentiate nutritional and metabolic impacts relevant to human health 
and provide a foundation for future research. The proposed project will utilize the gold standard 
research approach of a double-blind, randomized, controlled, cross-over investigation to compare 
organic and conventional beef. That is, neither investigators nor research participants will know 
which beef type is being consumed until the study is over and codes identifying the different beef 
samples are identified, measurements will be made for both beef types in random order for all 
participants, and variables impacting how participants will respond from one trial to the next will 
be controlled. A total of 10 healthy adult participants (5 women, 5 men) will be asked to 
complete a meal test and consume 6-oz grilled (70°C) sirloin steaks (~400 kcal) of either the 
organic grass-fed or the conventionally grain-fed beef. Selected steaks will come from the same 
muscle (longissimus lumborum) of the cattle. Blood collection at fasting and hourly for 5 hours 
after the meal will be obtained. After a 7-day minimum washout period where physical activity 
and dietary recommendations will be given, participants will repeat the blood draw visit and 
consume either the organic grass-fed or the conventionally grain-fed beef, whichever was not 
eaten at the previous blood draw visit. Paired analysis of responses will be conducted to 
determine differences between the consumption of organic grass-fed beef to conventionally 
grain-fed beef where participants act as their own controls. This pairing will assist to determine 
differences in lipid, amino acid and metabolite responses. Kinetics (measures over time) and 
untargeted and targeted metabolomics (an advance analytical technique to measure 1000’s of 
molecules in a single sample) will be used as a tool to differentiate health impacts of the separate 
meal tests to investigate the impact of organic grass-fed beef versus conventionally grain-fed 
beef consumption on fasting and postprandial responses in healthy adults. We expect to identify 
an array of metabolic differences between beef samples and will identify known impacts of those 
differences on health to provide a substantive comparison and provide a foundation for future 
research.   
Aim 1: Evaluate postprandial blood markers (glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides) differences.  
 
Blood markers will be measured via a Picollo Xpress Chemistry Analyzer lipid panel 
(Abaxis, Union City, CA, USA at fasting and every hour for a total of four hours after consuming 
the steaks from each condition. This will provide information about how cattle feeding systems 
(conventional and grass-fed beef) impact postprandial responses. These acute responses can then 
be related to broader health impacts, as they are indicative of what long-term consumption could 
affect.  
 
 

Aim 2: Evaluate postprandial amino acid differences via targeted metabolomics.  
 
Amino acid concentrations in fasting and postprandial serum samples will be analyzed 
via a targeted metabolomics approach. This will inform us on the potential differences in amino 
acid content and amount between conventional and grass-fed beef. Amino acids, both essential 
and non-essential) play vitals roles in numerous metabolic processes and can mediate processes 
such as glycemic control. Characterizing what amino acids are present and quantifying them will 
allow for connections to be made on the potential health impacts of consuming each type of beef.  
Aim 3: Evaluate postprandial metabolomic differences via untargeted metabolomics.  
 
Metabolites present at fasting and after consumption of the two types of beef will be 
assessed via an untargeted metabolomics approach. This approach allows us to capture a wider 
variety of metabolites compared to targeted and aids in the exploratory nature of the purpose and 
hypothesis. Metabolites found will be them be identified and connected to metabolic pathways 
they take part in, as well as the differences in abundance between beef types. This will allow us 
to potentially discover metabolic pathways being impacted by the consumption of beef not 
elucidated by the other analysis and identify metabolites that differ between conventional and 
grass-fed beef.