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Normal WeightNCT06185634

Impact of the Timing of Pasta Consumption on Health

A study testing Dietary intervention - Pasta at dinner and Dietary intervention - Pasta at lunch in people with Normal Weight, run by Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi at 1 site in Italy.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
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Trial summary

To date, the optimal timing for pasta consumption remains uncertain. Based on recent evidence in the field of chrono-nutrition, it is speculated that eating pasta at dinner may have a negative impact on cardio-metabolic health. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Normal Weight
What is being tested?
Dietary intervention - Pasta at dinner and Dietary intervention - Pasta at lunch
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
70 participants
Where
1 siteItaly
Study dates
13 Nov 2023to 13 Nov 2025
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 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • normal weight condition (BMI=18.5-24.9 kg/m2)
  • age between 18 and 65 years
  • willing to give informed consent

Who cannot join

  • subjects who were involved in night work, planned long-distance jet travel during the study period, had irregular sleeping schedules or were taking any drugs known to affect sleep or metabolism
  • presence of current chronic illness or unstable condition (e.g., cardiovascular disease, chronic liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease)
  • current or recent (past 2 months) use of antibiotics or probiotics
  • pregnancy or intention to become pregnant in the next 12 months
  • breastfeeding

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Francesco Sofi, MD, PhD contact

+390552758042

francesco.sofi@unifi.it

Italy1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Unit of Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital of Careggi

    Florence, 50134

    Francesco Sofi, Prof., +390552758042, francesco.sofi@unifi.it

    Recruiting

Other trials in Italy

About this study

Official title: Impact of Pasta Consumption Timing on Multiple Health Outcomes

To date, the optimal timing for pasta consumption remains uncertain. Based on recent evidence in the field of chrono-nutrition, it is speculated that eating pasta at dinner may have a negative impact on cardio-metabolic health. Carbohydrate intake during a period of minimal glucose tolerance could potentially alter the glycaemic profile and increase the risk of overweight and obesity. Conversely, other studies indicate that consuming carbohydrates at dinner may enhance sleep efficiency and quality. Thus, the aim of this study is, for the first time, to evaluate whether there are discernible differences between consuming pasta at lunch or dinner for the human health.

Read the detailed description

Background:

Pasta plays an indisputable role in the Mediterranean diet pyramid. Indeed, it is an excellent source of carbohydrates that can be part of a varied, balanced, and healthy diet. Despite this, more and more people are avoiding it because they consider it too caloric and associate it with weight gain, especially if eaten in the evening.

While it is known with certainty that the consumption of pasta, in the right quantities, is associated with positive health effects, there is limited information on the optimal time to consume it. The most common hypothesis is that it is better to consume it at lunch, as metabolism undergoes a physiological and progressive reduction as the evening approaches. Furthermore, recent findings in the field of chrono-nutrition have highlighted that glucose tolerance is high during the day and minimal during the night, suggesting that consuming a high amount of carbohydrates in the evening may predispose to weight gain and a worsened cardio-metabolic profile. On the other hand, according to some studies, consuming carbohydrates in the evening may ensure good sleep quality, as they are an excellent source of tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes serotonin production, also known as the sleep hormone.

Recently, some studies on animal models have suggested that the timing of carbohydrate consumption could also impact the composition and functionality of the gut microbiota. For example, it has been observed that the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) fluctuates throughout the day under the control of the host's circadian rhythms. Considering that SCFA are produced from carbohydrates and are fundamental regulators for many metabolic processes, it could be extremely interesting to explore the relationship between "when carbohydrates are consumed" and microbial functionality.

In conclusion, to date, studies that have evaluated the timing of carbohydrate consumption are limited and rely on physiological and chrono-biological assumptions rather than experimental evidence. Consequently, it is not known whether consuming pasta at lunch or dinner, in the right quantities, may have effects on human weight and health.

Objective of the study:

The aim of this study is to assess, for the first time, whether there is a difference between consuming pasta at lunch or dinner in terms of sleep quality, anthropometric parameters, cardiovascular risk factors, composition and functionality of the gut microbiota in a sample of normal-weight subjects. Additionally, individual chronotype will be taken into consideration, a construct indicating when a subject is most active during the day, as recent studies have highlighted its impact on dietary habits, especially in terms of "meal timing," and human health.

Conditions
Normal Weight
Being tested
Dietary intervention - Pasta at dinner, Dietary intervention - Pasta at lunch
Keywords
Sleep quality, Anthropometric parameters, Mealtiming, Pasta, Cardiovascular risk, Gut microbiota
Medical subject headings
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

What participants receive

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

  • Dietary intervention - Pasta at dinnerOther

    The "pasta at dinner" nutritional intervention will consist, as the name suggests, in eating pasta at dinner for 3 months. The dietary intervention will consist of a normo-caloric diet, defined on the basis of the individual basal metabolic rate measured by indirect calorimetry and on the calculation of the participant's calorie intake extrapolated from a 3-day food diary. The diet will be of the Mediterranean type with 30% of energy coming from fats, 15-20% from proteins and the remaining 50-55% from carbohydrates (mainly complexes). Calorie intake will be distributed as follows: 20% calories at breakfast, 5% calories in the mid-morning snack, 40% calories at lunch, 5% calories in the mid-afternoon snack, 30% calories at dinner.

  • Dietary intervention - Pasta at lunchOther

    The "pasta at lunch" nutritional intervention will consist, as the name suggests, in eating pasta at lunch for 3 months. The dietary intervention will consist of a normo-caloric diet, defined on the basis of the individual basal metabolic rate measured by indirect calorimetry and on the calculation of the participant's calorie intake extrapolated from a 3-day food diary. The diet will be of the Mediterranean type with 30% of energy coming from fats, 15-20% from proteins and the remaining 50-55% from carbohydrates (mainly complexes). Calorie intake will be distributed as follows: 20% calories at breakfast, 5% calories in the mid-morning snack, 40% calories at lunch, 5% calories in the mid-afternoon snack, 30% calories at dinner.

Study groups in NCT06185634
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Group 1ExperimentalGroup starting with the dietary intervention of eating pasta at dinner for 3 months.
Receives: Other: Dietary intervention - Pasta at dinner; Other: Dietary intervention - Pasta at lunch
Group 2ExperimentalGroup starting with the dietary intervention of eating pasta at lunch for 3 months.
Receives: Other: Dietary intervention - Pasta at dinner; Other: Dietary intervention - Pasta at lunch

What is being measured

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

  1. Sleep quality

    The assessment of sleep quality will be done by actigraphy and the following parameters will be evaluated: sleep onset time, end of sleep time, waking after sleep onset, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, number of awakenings, duration of awakenings, movement index, activity index and sleep regularity index.This assessment will be carried out at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

Secondary outcomes (26)
  1. Weight change

    Measurement of body weight change in kg at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  2. Body mass index (BMI) changes

    Measurement of BMI change at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases. Weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m^2

    Measured: 7 months

  3. Fat mass changes

    Measurement of fat mass change at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases. Percentage of fat mass will be assessed using the Akern bioelectrical impedance analyser (model SE 101).

    Measured: 7 months

  4. Basal Metabolic Rate

    Measurement of basale metabolic rate change at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases. The basal metabolism will be defined by indirect calorimetry.

    Measured: 7 months

  5. Fasting Blood Glucose changes

    Measurement of blood glucose concentration change in mg/dL at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  6. Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) changes

    Measurement of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) change in mmol/mol at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  7. Total cholesterol changes

    Measurement of total cholesterol change in mg/dL at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  8. LDL-cholesterol changes

    Measurement of LDL cholesterol change in mg/dL at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  9. HDL-cholesterol changes

    Measurement of HDL cholesterol change in mg/dL at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  10. Triglycerides changes

    Measurement of triglycerides change in mg/dL at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  11. Homocysteine changes

    Measurement of homocysteine change in micromoli/L at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  12. Aspartate transaminase changes

    Measurement of aspartate transaminase change in U/l at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  13. Alanine transaminase changes

    Measurement of alanine transaminase change in U/l at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  14. Gamma-glutamyl transferase changes

    Measurement of gamma-glutamyl transferase change in U/l at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  15. Urea changes

    Measurement of urea change in mg/dL at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  16. Creatinine changes

    Measurement of creatinine change in mg/dL at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  17. Uric acid changes

    Measurement of uric acid change in mg/dL at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  18. Gut microbiota changes

    Measurement of gut microbiota profile change at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases. Each subject will be asked for a stool sample at the beginning and at the end of each intervention phases in order to analyse the composition of the gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids production.

    Measured: 7 months

  19. Individual circadian rhythms

    Circadian rhythms and the individual chronotype will be analysed for each participant through the Dim Light Melatonin Onset (DMLO) at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases. For this purpose, the NovoLytiX ELISA kit for Direct Melatonin on Saliva (EK-DSM) will be used.

    Measured: 7 months

  20. TBARS changes

    Measurement of TBARS changes at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  21. ROS changes

    Measurement of ROS changes at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  22. Leptin changes

    Measurement of leptin changes at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  23. Ghrelin changes

    Measurement of ghrelin changes at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  24. Insulin changes

    Measurement of insulin changes at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  25. IL-6 changes

    Measurement of IL-6 changes at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

  26. C-Peptide YY

    Measurement of C-Peptide YY changes at the beginning and end of each of the two intervention phases.

    Measured: 7 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted29 Dec 2023
  2. Study start13 Nov 2023
  3. Primary completion13 Nov 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completion13 Nov 2025 (estimated)

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
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Model description
The experimental study will be a randomised controlled trial and will involve 2 phases of nutritional intervention.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
70 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06185634
Sponsor's protocol ID
PASTA-TIMING
Status last verified
Jan 2024
First submitted
15 Dec 2023
Last updated
9 Jan 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • Huang M, Lo K, Li J, Allison M, Wu WC, Liu S. Pasta meal intake in relation to risks of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women : findings from the Women's Health Initiative. BMJ Nutr Prev Health. 2021 Apr 30;4(1):195-205. doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2020-000198. eCollection 2021.

    PubMed 34308127
  • Henry CJ, Kaur B, Quek RYC. Chrononutrition in the management of diabetes. Nutr Diabetes. 2020 Feb 19;10(1):6. doi: 10.1038/s41387-020-0109-6.

    PubMed 32075959
  • St-Onge MP, Mikic A, Pietrolungo CE. Effects of Diet on Sleep Quality. Adv Nutr. 2016 Sep 15;7(5):938-49. doi: 10.3945/an.116.012336. Print 2016 Sep.

    PubMed 27633109
  • Frazier K, Chang EB. Intersection of the Gut Microbiome and Circadian Rhythms in Metabolism. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Jan;31(1):25-36. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2019.08.013. Epub 2019 Oct 31.

    PubMed 31677970
  • la Fleur SE, Kalsbeek A, Wortel J, Fekkes ML, Buijs RM. A daily rhythm in glucose tolerance: a role for the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Diabetes. 2001 Jun;50(6):1237-43. doi: 10.2337/diabetes.50.6.1237.

    PubMed 11375322
  • Afaghi A, O'Connor H, Chow CM. High-glycemic-index carbohydrate meals shorten sleep onset. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Feb;85(2):426-30. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/85.2.426.

    PubMed 17284739
  • Thaiss CA, Levy M, Korem T, Dohnalova L, Shapiro H, Jaitin DA, David E, Winter DR, Gury-BenAri M, Tatirovsky E, Tuganbaev T, Federici S, Zmora N, Zeevi D, Dori-Bachash M, Pevsner-Fischer M, Kartvelishvily E, Brandis A, Harmelin A, Shibolet O, Halpern Z, Honda K, Amit I, Segal E, Elinav E. Microbiota Diurnal Rhythmicity Programs Host Transcriptome Oscillations. Cell. 2016 Dec 1;167(6):1495-1510.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.003.

    PubMed 27912059
  • Zhao M, Tuo H, Wang S, Zhao L. The Effects of Dietary Nutrition on Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Mediators Inflamm. 2020 Jun 25;2020:3142874. doi: 10.1155/2020/3142874. eCollection 2020.

    PubMed 32684833
  • Gerard C, Vidal H. Impact of Gut Microbiota on Host Glycemic Control. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019 Jan 30;10:29. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00029. eCollection 2019.

    PubMed 30761090
  • Lotti S, Pagliai G, Colombini B, Sofi F, Dinu M. Chronotype Differences in Energy Intake, Cardiometabolic Risk Parameters, Cancer, and Depression: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Adv Nutr. 2022 Feb 1;13(1):269-281. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmab115.

    PubMed 34549270
  • Lotti S, Dinu M, Napoletano A, Pagliai G, Asensi MT, Giangrandi I, Cesari F, Becatti M, Amedei A, Fiorillo C, Marcucci R, Colombini B, Sofi F. The impact of the timing of pasta intake on sleep quality and health outcomes: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2025 May 8;26(1):150. doi: 10.1186/s13063-025-08859-x.

    PubMed 40340858

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Dietary intervention - Pasta at dinner and Dietary intervention - Pasta at lunch in people with Normal Weight, run by Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi at 1 site in Italy.

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 5 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Jan 2024. 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 Italy. 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?

Results are not available in the source record.

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

Contact Francesco Sofi, MD, PhD (+390552758042, francesco.sofi@unifi.it), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Sleep quality (time frame: 7 months). 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 NCT06185634, which also lists 11 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 9 Jan 2024.

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