Functional food intervention to improve cardiometabolic health
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Functional food intervention with broccoli to improve cardiometabolic health in women (‘BITE’ Study)
IRAS ID
224244
Contact name
Ponnusamy Saravanan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Nottingham Trent University
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at 7-8 times higher risk of developing diabetes following their pregnancy. These same individuals, particularly if they are obese, also have a raised damaging lipid profile and inflammation which further increases their risk of both diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Emerging evidence suggests that functional foods, which are foods that can offer health benefits could have the potential to reduce both these risks. Our team, in collaboration with Warwick Horticulture Institute, has developed a broccoli in a freeze-dried powder form, that is palatable and easy to take on its own or with other food.
In a randomized, double-blinded cross over study, we would like to test the potential benefits that freeze dried broccoli daily can have on patients with a history of GDM or who were tested for it in a recent pregnancy (n=200). This will comprise of 100 obese and 100 lean women to compare the responses of these women to broccoli, according to the subgroups of their BMI.
The cross-over design means that participants would have either take broccoli first for 4 weeks then peas for 4 weeks or vice versa in a blinded manner. We will take blood and urine tests from the women before and after each intervention as well as collect questionnaires and physical activity data. From these we will measure lipid levels and markers of inflammation to determine the effect of broccoli on health.REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/WM/0214
Date of REC Opinion
4 Sep 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion