An Egg Based Breakfast Maintains Flexibility in Older Adults

Aging is associated with an increased risk for metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There is reason to believe that the time of day when specific food groups are eaten affects this risk. The investigators propose that eating foods made up of fat and protein (such as eggs) in the morning for breakfast, rather than foods made up of carbohydrates (such as white-bread toast or sugary cereal) may promote a healthier metabolism. This is because the body is designed to burn fat during times of fasting, such as overnight, during sleep. Thus, the body is not prepared to burn sugar early in the morning, when most people eat breakfast. Studies with mice have shown that a sugary breakfast meal inhibits the ability of the body to burn fat for the entire day. In contrast, a breakfast meal with more fat enabled the animals to burn fat as well as other fuels throughout the day. The ability to burn fat is thought to minimize risk for obesity, as well as related diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The purpose of this study is to determine if, in older adult humans, consumption of a lower-carbohydrate breakfast meal (relative to a higher-carbohydrate meal) is associated with a healthier metabolism.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Diabetes Cardiovascular Diseases Diabetes Mellitus Endocrine System Diseases Glucose Metabolism Disorders Heart Diseases Metabolic Diseases Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases

Age range

55 year–75 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

• Age 55-75

Body mass index 24-29 kg/m2

Exclusion criteria

• Current practice of greater than 2h/wk of moderate intentional exercise

Uncontrolled diabetes
Unwillingness to eat study diets
Use of any medication known to affect metabolism
History of eating disorder
Difficulty chewing and swallowing solid food
Digestive diseases
Cognitive impairment
Depression
Recent weight change (+/- 10 lbs. in the last 12 mo.)
Poorly controlled blood pressure (SBP > 159 or DBP >95 mm Hg)
History of non-skin cancer in the last 5 y
Cardiovascular disease event in the past 6 mo.
Severe pulmonary disease
Renal failure
Major liver dysfunction (elevation of liver transaminases >3x normal in past 2 y; current/recent smoker (within 6 mo.)
Use of estrogen or testosterone replacement therapy
Current use of oral corticosteroids >5 days/month on average
Current use of medications for treatment of psychosis or manic-depressive illness
Use of weight loss medications in the previous 3 months
Unable to adhere to diet recommendations

Treatment and study plan

High fat breakfast

Other

High fat breakfast

Higher carbohydrate breakfast

Other

Higher carbohydrate breakfast

Primary outcomes

Respiratory quotient (RQ, a measure of substrate oxidation)

Time frame: 4 weeks

24 hour respiratory quotient will be measured using whole-room indirect calorimetry

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2011
Primary completion: 2013
Study completion: 2013
First posted: May 23, 2017
Registry last updated: May 23, 2017

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed