Biomarkers of Food Intake Using a Cross-over Feeding Study
Condition: Diet Habit
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Assessment of dietary intake is key for understanding the links between diet and health.
      Here, researchers will study molecules in urine samples to give them an insight into what
      people have eaten. These new molecules are called dietary biomarkers. This study will help to
      identify new molecules that can act as biomarkers of commonly consumed foods. These can then
      be used in the assessment of diet, identification of diet-related diseases and used how to
      explain how a dietary intervention (programme) will work, thereby adding to scientific
      knowledge.
    

Detailed description: 
      For biomarker discovery a cross-over study where participants will visit the Human
      Intervention Centre (in UCD) on 3 occasions (3 study days) with a minimum one week between
      each visit. The order of consumption of the test foods will be randomized. The test foods are
      mixed vegetables (spinach and lettuce), green beans and mixed berried (strawberries and
      blueberries). For each study day, the participants will arrive fasting and provide a urine
      sample (0h sample). For 24h prior to the study day participants will avoid the test foods.
      Participants will consume the food and urine samples will be taken at 2, 4, 6 and 24 h post
      consumption . Standard portions of the test food will be eaten on each occasion. Between the
      visits, participants will consume their habitual diet.

      The samples will be analysed using the metabolomics platforms LC-MS and NMR spectroscopy.
      Both NMR and LC-MS data generated will undergo statistical analysis such as principal
      component analysis (PCA) and supervised analysis such as partial least squares-discriminant
      analysis (PLS-DA). Validation of such models will be performed using permutation testing.
    

Intervention name(s): Biomarkers of Fruit and Vegetable Intake
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Cross-over study where participants will visit the Human Intervention Centre (in UCD) on 3 occasions (3 study days) with a minimum one week between each visit. The order of consumption of the test foods will be randomized. The test foods are mixed vegetables (spinach and lettuce), green beans and mixed berried (strawberries and blueberries). The following definition of portion sizes will be used; green beans (120g), lettuce (20g), spinach (90g), strawberries (96g) and blueberries (75g).
For each study day, the participants will arrive fasting and provide a urine sample (0h sample). For 24h prior to the study day participants will avoid the test foods. Participants will consume the food and urine samples will be taken at 2, 4, 6 and 24 h post consumption.
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Intervention model description: Each participant is asked to eat a test food (mixed vegetables (spinach and lettuce), green beans and mixed berries (strawberries and blueberries). They are asked for urine samples for up to 6 hours after eating each food. They are also asked for a urine sample one day after eating the foods. The samples are then analysed for dietary biomarkers.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: Metabolomics; dietary biomarkers; personalized nutrition