Plant versus animal protein supplements to improve brain blood flow, insulin response, thinking, and appetite in older adults

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Overweight or obese adults aged 60–75 receive daily supplementation for two weeks with either a plant-derived protein isolate, an animal-derived protein isolate, or a cornstarch control, and undergo before-and-after testing. Key outcomes include measures of cerebral blood flow and brain insulin sensitivity, plus cognitive performance tests and appetite-related brain reward activity. Participants are screened to exclude diabetes, major metabolic abnormalities, vegetarians, and certain allergies, and testing is conducted at the Maastricht University Medical Center. The design aims to determine whether short-term protein supplementation from different sources produces measurable changes in brain vascular and metabolic function and related behaviors.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Men and women, aged between 60-75 years (older adults)
* BMI between 25-35 kg/m2 (overweight or obese)
* Fasting plasma glucose \< 7.0 mmol/L
* Fasting serum total cholesterol \< 8.0 mmol/L
* Fasting serum triacylglycerol \< 4.5 mmol/L
* Systolic blood pressure \< 160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure \< 100 mmHg
* Stable body weight (weight gain or loss \< 3 kg in the past three months)
* Willingness to give up being a blood donor from 8 weeks before the start of the study, during the study and for 4 weeks after completion of the study
* No difficult venipuncture as evidenced during the screening visit

Exclusion Criteria:

* Intolerant to milk products or fava bean allergy
* Vegetarians
* Left-handedness
* Current smoker, or smoking cessation \< 12 months
* Diabetic patients
* Familial hypercholesterolemia
* Abuse of drugs
* More than 3 alcoholic consumptions per day
* Use of products or dietary supplements known to interfere with the main outcomes as judged by the principal investigators
* Use medication to treat blood pressure, lipid, or glucose metabolism
* Use of an investigational product within another biomedical intervention trial within the previous 1-month
* Severe medical conditions that might interfere with the study, such as epilepsy, asthma, kidney failure or renal insufficiency, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, auto inflammatory diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis
* Active cardiovascular disease like congestive heart failure or cardiovascular event, such as an acute myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident
* Contra-indications for MRI imaging (e.g., pacemaker, surgical clips/material in body, metal splinter in eye, claustrophobia)

Where it's running

• Maastricht University Medical Center
  Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Recruiting

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.