Sweet Consumption and Subsequent Sweet Food Preferences and Intakes
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Bournemouth University
- Enrollment
- 104
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Sweet Food Preferences
Study Overview
Brief Summary
This study will assess the effects of repeated sweet versus non-sweet food consumption on subsequent sweet and non-sweet food preferences and intakes.
Detailed Description
Participants will be randomized to receive instructions to either increase, decrease or make no change to sweet food consumption for 6 days, and impacts on food preferences and intakes will be assessed at baseline and after 1 week. Preferences for sweet and non-sweet foods will be assessed during a taste test at each assessment time, where six different foods will be rated. Sweet and non-sweet food consumption will also be measured at a subsequent breakfast at the assessment time. Buffet meals composed of sweet and non-sweet foods suitable for consumption at breakfast will be provided ad-libitum.
A subset of participants (selected at random) (10 participants randomized to increase sweet food consumption and 10 participants randomized to decrease sweet food consumption) will also be assessed via MRI and fMRI scanning to investigate brain structure and functional connectivity.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking Description
Investigators, outcome assessors and analysts will be masked. It is not possible to mask participants.
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •aged 18-65 years;
- •habitually consume breakfast;
- •able to provide consent and complete all study materials;
- •able to attend Bournemouth University for testing.
Exclusion Criteria
- •individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding;
- •underweight (BMI <18.5);
- •have pre-existing clinical conditions such as diabetes mellitus, eating disorders, Crohn's disease and other illness's leading to participants receiving external nutritional advice and dietary restrictions;
- •have pre-existing medical conditions affecting swallow ability, taste and smell perception;
- •currently or within 3 months of starting the study are following a specific dietary programme (e.g.: Slimming World);
- •current smokers or have smoked within 3 months of the study start date.
Arms & Interventions
Dietary Instructions: Increase sweet food consumption
Participants are asked to increase their consumption of sweet foods throughout their diet. Participants will be provided with clear instructions, where sweet foods will be highlighted and additional means of increasing sweet food consumption will be offered.
Intervention: Dietary Instructions (Behavioral)
Dietary Instructions: Decrease sweet food consumption
Participants are asked to decrease their consumption of sweet foods throughout their diet. Participants will be provided with clear instructions, where sweet foods will be highlighted and means of decreasing sweet food consumption will be offered.
Intervention: Dietary Instructions (Behavioral)
Dietary Instructions: Usual Diet
Participants are asked to retain their consumption of sweet foods throughout their diet.
Intervention: Dietary Instructions (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Sweet Food Preferences
Time Frame: Week 1
Preferences for various sweet foods/fluids, assessed using a taste test, where participants sample several sweet and non-sweet foods and rate them for pleasantness on a 100mm Visual Analogue Scale, from 0 to 100mm. Higher scores signify stronger preferences
Sweet Food Choices
Time Frame: Week 1
Selection of sweet foods/fluids at a given meal, assessed where participants can consume freely from a meal composed of sweet and non-sweet foods, and proportion of sweet foods consumed is measured as a percentage of weight consumed
Secondary Outcomes
- Hunger and Thirst(Week 1)
- Sweet Food Perceptions(Week 1)
- MRI Static Brain Scan (Subset of Participants Only)(Baseline to week 1)
- fMRI Composite Functional Brain Scan (Subset of Participants Only)(Baseline to week 1)