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Dietary HabitsAMBERNCT04308473

Analysis of MicroBial Metabolites After Eating Refined Food

A study testing Ultra-processed Food Meal and Whole Food Meal in people with Dietary Habits, run by The Cleveland Clinic at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to learn more about what happens in the human body after consuming a meal that contains ultra-processed foods like hamburgers, and if this is different to what happens after consuming a meal that contains lots of whole foods, like fresh vegetables, instead. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Dietary Habits
What is being tested?
Ultra-processed Food Meal and Whole Food Meal
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
46 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 Sep 2020to 30 Apr 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Men and women age 18 years or above.
  • Able to provide informed consent and comply with study protocol
  • Able to remain on a stable aspirin regimen (either on or off aspirin or aspirin products) for 1 week prior to starting study until the end of the study period.

Who cannot join

  • Significant chronic illness or end-organ dysfunction, including known history of uncompensated heart failure, renal failure, pulmonary disease, hematologic diseases.
  • Active infection or received antibiotics within 6 months of study enrollment.
  • Use of over-the-counter probiotic within past month.
  • Chronic gastrointestinal disorders.
  • Intolerance to probiotic therapy.
  • Allergy to vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, neomycin, metronidazole, or lactose.
Show all 9Show fewer
  • Allergy to any of the food components of the challenge meals.
  • Having undergone bariatric procedures or surgeries such as gastric banding or bypass.
  • Pregnancy.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Cleveland Clinic Main Campus

    Cleveland, Ohio, 44195

Other trials in United States

About this study

The purpose of this study is to learn more about what happens in the human body after consuming a meal that contains ultra-processed foods like hamburgers, and if this is different to what happens after consuming a meal that contains lots of whole foods, like fresh vegetables, instead.

Read the detailed description

The purpose of this study is to discover more about how the human body and the bacteria living in our intestines, known as "gut flora," react to different foods a person may consume. The investigators want to know if there are differences in compounds measured in a participant's blood and urine after eating different foods. Specifically, the investigators are interested in seeing if there are differences in these compounds after eating ultra-processed foods, like hamburgers and french fries, versus eating whole foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables. The investigators also want to know if the bacteria in our intestines may change the levels of these compounds. To this end, some subjects will be asked to take antibiotics to suppress the gut flora for three days before eating the challenge meal. Suppression of gut flora is a known effect of the antibiotics used in this study. Participants will have two study visits.

Conditions
Dietary Habits
Being tested
Ultra-processed Food Meal, Whole Food Meal
Keywords
Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Ultra-processed Food
Medical subject headings
Feeding Behavior

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Ultra-processed Food MealOther

    An ultra-processed diet challenge test utilizing 1) potatoes fried in highly refined and processed vegetable oil, including corn, soybean, or canola oil, with wheat and milk derivatives; 2) a beef patty sandwich containing processed American cheese, enriched refined flour, mold inhibitor, preservatives and oxidation/reduction additives such as ascorbic acid, potassium/calcium iodate, alpha-amylase, and azodicarbonamide; and 3) a beverage composed of carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup and caramel coloring. The ultra-processed challenge meal will be obtained from a local restaurant on the day of the challenge test.

  • Whole Food MealOther

    A whole food diet challenge test utilizing 1) a side salad comprised of fresh leafy vegetables, and typical whole food toppings including fresh onion, fresh tomato, fresh carrots, and raw walnuts with a pure unrefined olive oil salad dressing; 2) a legume-based main dish including chickpeas, lentils and whole grain quinoa; 3) a fresh berry-rich smoothie beverage consisting of organic blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, and fresh orange juice. The whole food challenge meal will be made by the study team from readily available commercial foods bought from local grocery stores.

Study groups in NCT04308473
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Arm 1: Ultra-processed Meal + Antibiotics to supress gut floraExperimentalSubjects in Arm 1 will take antibiotics for 3 days before the meal challenge to suppress the gut flora. The antibiotics to be used are: vancomycin, 125 mg three times daily; metronidazole, 500 mg twice daily; ciprofloxacin, 500 mg twice daily; and neomycin, 1 gram three times daily. These subjects will then consume a challenge meal of ultra-processed foods.
Receives: Other: Ultra-processed Food Meal
Arm 2: Ultra-processed Meal + No AntibioticsExperimentalSubjects in Arm 2 will not take any antibiotics prior to the meal challenge. They will consume a challenge meal of ultra-processed foods.
Receives: Other: Ultra-processed Food Meal
Arm 3: Whole Food Meal + Antibiotics to supress gut floraExperimentalSubjects in Arm 3 will take antibiotics for 3 days before the meal challenge to suppress the gut flora. The antibiotics to be used are: vancomycin, 125 mg three times daily; metronidazole, 500 mg twice daily; ciprofloxacin, 500 mg twice daily; and neomycin, 1 gram three times daily. These subjects will then consume a challenge meal of whole, unprocessed foods.
Receives: Other: Whole Food Meal
Arm 4: Whole Food Meal + No AntibioticsExperimentalSubjects in Arm 4 will not take any antibiotics prior to the meal challenge. They will consume a challenge meal of whole, unprocessed foods.
Receives: Other: Whole Food Meal

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Serial changes in plasma and urine metabolites and biomarkers

    Serial changes in plasma and urine metabolites and biomarkers

    Measured: Pre-meal (baseline) & post-meal at 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, and 6 hours

  2. Serial changes in plasma and urine TMAO

    Serial changes in plasma and urine TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide)

    Measured: Pre-meal (baseline) & post-meal at 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, and 6 hours

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted16 Mar 2020
  2. Study start1 Sep 2020
  3. Primary completion28 Feb 2023
  4. Study completion30 Apr 2026

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Group 1 = Ultra-Processed Food Meal + Antibiotics to suppress gut flora; Group 2 = Ultra-Processed Food Meal with No Antibiotics; Group 3 = Whole Food Meal + Antibiotics to suppress gut flora; Group 4 = Whole Food Meal with No Antibiotics
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
46 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04308473
Sponsor's protocol ID
19-1623
Acronym
AMBER
Status last verified
Jun 2026
First submitted
2 Mar 2020
Last updated
25 Jun 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Tang WH, Wang Z, Levison BS, Koeth RA, Britt EB, Fu X, Wu Y, Hazen SL. Intestinal microbial metabolism of phosphatidylcholine and cardiovascular risk. N Engl J Med. 2013 Apr 25;368(17):1575-84. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1109400.

    PubMed 23614584
  • Wang Z, Klipfell E, Bennett BJ, Koeth R, Levison BS, Dugar B, Feldstein AE, Britt EB, Fu X, Chung YM, Wu Y, Schauer P, Smith JD, Allayee H, Tang WH, DiDonato JA, Lusis AJ, Hazen SL. Gut flora metabolism of phosphatidylcholine promotes cardiovascular disease. Nature. 2011 Apr 7;472(7341):57-63. doi: 10.1038/nature09922.

    PubMed 21475195
  • Schugar RC, Shih DM, Warrier M, Helsley RN, Burrows A, Ferguson D, Brown AL, Gromovsky AD, Heine M, Chatterjee A, Li L, Li XS, Wang Z, Willard B, Meng Y, Kim H, Che N, Pan C, Lee RG, Crooke RM, Graham MJ, Morton RE, Langefeld CD, Das SK, Rudel LL, Zein N, McCullough AJ, Dasarathy S, Tang WHW, Erokwu BO, Flask CA, Laakso M, Civelek M, Naga Prasad SV, Heeren J, Lusis AJ, Hazen SL, Brown JM. The TMAO-Producing Enzyme Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase 3 Regulates Obesity and the Beiging of White Adipose Tissue. Cell Rep. 2017 Jun 20;19(12):2451-2461. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.05.077.

    PubMed 28636934
  • Koh A, De Vadder F, Kovatcheva-Datchary P, Backhed F. From Dietary Fiber to Host Physiology: Short-Chain Fatty Acids as Key Bacterial Metabolites. Cell. 2016 Jun 2;165(6):1332-1345. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.05.041.

    PubMed 27259147
  • Srour B, Fezeu LK, Kesse-Guyot E, Alles B, Mejean C, Andrianasolo RM, Chazelas E, Deschasaux M, Hercberg S, Galan P, Monteiro CA, Julia C, Touvier M. Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: prospective cohort study (NutriNet-Sante). BMJ. 2019 May 29;365:l1451. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l1451.

    PubMed 31142457
  • Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, Cai H, Cassimatis T, Chen KY, Chung ST, Costa E, Courville A, Darcey V, Fletcher LA, Forde CG, Gharib AM, Guo J, Howard R, Joseph PV, McGehee S, Ouwerkerk R, Raisinger K, Rozga I, Stagliano M, Walter M, Walter PJ, Yang S, Zhou M. Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake. Cell Metab. 2019 Jul 2;30(1):67-77.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008. Epub 2019 May 16.

    PubMed 31105044
  • Tang ZZ, Chen G, Hong Q, Huang S, Smith HM, Shah RD, Scholz M, Ferguson JF. Multi-Omic Analysis of the Microbiome and Metabolome in Healthy Subjects Reveals Microbiome-Dependent Relationships Between Diet and Metabolites. Front Genet. 2019 May 17;10:454. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00454. eCollection 2019.

    PubMed 31164901

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Ultra-processed Food Meal and Whole Food Meal in people with Dietary Habits, run by The Cleveland Clinic at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 9 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Serial changes in plasma and urine metabolites and biomarkers (time frame: Pre-meal (baseline) & post-meal at 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, and 6 hours). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04308473, which also lists 7 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Jun 2026.

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