swap-meat: study with appetizing plant food - meat eating alternatives trial

Conditions: Microbiome; Immune Function; Cardiovascular Diseases

Summary: this study aims to investigate the impact of replacing meat consumption with plant-based meat alternative consumption on cardiovascular health, the gut microbiome, and metabolic status.

plant-based meat alternatives that closely emulate animal protein provide a new opportunity to decrease meat consumption worldwide. decreasing meat consumption and shifting to a plant-based diet has been linked to improvements in physical health, including decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes (kahleova, levin, \& barnard, 2017). however, the extent to which plant-based meat alternatives specifically can modulate biomarkers of physical health, particularly tmao and igf-1, and the gut microbiome remain relatively unexplored. it is also largely unknown to what extent consumers can feasibly and sustainably exchange meat products for plant-based meat alternatives for extended periods of time. plant-based meat alternatives offer a promising way to support consumers' shift to a plant-based diet, and in turn, to potentially improve levels of tmao and igf-1 and decrease cardiovascular risk. thus, the investigators hypothesize that consumer levels of tmao and igf-1 will be improved after 8 weeks of consuming plant-based meat alternative products, as compared to 8 weeks of consuming traditional meat products.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * age ≥18 * meat consumption (beef, pork/sausage, chicken) on average ≥ once a day * willing to consume meat (beef, pork/sausage, chicken) ≥ 2 times a day exclusion criteria: * weight \< 110 lb * bmi ≥ 40 * ldl-c \>190 mg/dl * systolic blood pressure (sbp) \> 160 mmhg or diastolic blood pressure (dbp) \> 90 mmhg * use of any of the following drugs/supplements within the last 2 months: * systemic antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals or antiparasitics (intravenous, intramuscular, or oral); * corticosteroids (intravenous, intramuscular, oral, nasal or inhaled); * cytokines; * methotrexate or immunosuppressive cytotoxic agents; * chronic, clinically significant, or unstable (unresolved, requiring on-going changes to medical management or medication) pulmonary, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hepatic or renal functional abnormality, as determined by medical history, type 1 diabetes, dialysis. * history of active cancer in the past 3 years except for squamous or basal cell carcinomas of the skin that have been medically managed by local excision. * unstable dietary history as defined by major changes in diet during the previous month, where the subject has eliminated or significantly increased a major food group in the diet. * recent history of chronic excessive alcohol consumption defined as more than five 1.5-ounce servings of 80 proof distilled spirits, five 12-ounce servings of beer or five 5-ounce servings of wine per day; or \> 14 drinks/week. * any confirmed or suspected condition/state of immunosuppression or immunodeficiency (primary or acquired) including hiv infection, multiple sclerosis and graves' disease. * regular/frequent use of smoking or chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, cigars or other nicotine-containing products. * regular use of prescription opiate pain medication