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Healthy LifestyleNCT06261775

Effect of Minimally Processed Animal Protein on Biomarkers for Cognitive Decline

A study testing Red meat-based meal and No meat diet in people with Healthy Lifestyle, run by South Dakota State University 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

Minimally processed animal protein is a premier source of essential macro and micronutrients in the diet and is important, especially to older adults who are at increased risk of nutritional deficiency and age-related physiological changes. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 65 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Healthy Lifestyle
What is being tested?
Red meat-based meal and No meat diet
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
36 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
30 Jan 2024to 2 Jul 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 65 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Generally, good health status based on one routine physical in the past 15 months, current health status
  • Normal HbA1C, weigh 110 lb or more
  • Age 65 years or more, generally healthy, all races and both sexes
  • Generally practicing a meat-based dietary pattern, do not have any special dietary requirements, and
  • Willingness to comply with the study protocol, including on-site meal consumption and sample/data collection.

Who cannot join

  • Medication usage, probiotic, long-term antibiotic, and tobacco/drug/alcohol use
  • Not on any special diet within 3 months of recruitment, and do not intend to lose weight
  • Impaired kidney functions
  • Active history of cancer, diabetes, heart, liver, and kidney diseases
  • Major gastrointestinal disorders in the past 3 months
  • History of heart attacks or stroke
Show all 10Show fewer
  • Unable to meet in-person visit requirements for dining, picking up meals, and tests
  • Any mental health condition affecting the ability to provide written informed consent
  • If they had not had a routine health checkup 12 months before recruitment.
  • If they were unwilling to abstain from taking nutritional supplements, alcohol, non-study foods, and beverages during the study period.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • South Dakota State University, Wagner Hall 416

    Brookings, South Dakota, 57007

Other trials in United States

About this study

Minimally processed animal protein is a premier source of essential macro and micronutrients in the diet and is important, especially to older adults who are at increased risk of nutritional deficiency and age-related physiological changes. Our central hypothesis is that adding lean animal protein within a healthy diet following macronutrient recommendations for Americans will enhance nutrient adequacy and attenuate markers of cognitive decline. This is a retrospective study leveraging samples collected from the feeding trial NCT05581953. PI for both studies are the same.

Being tested
Red meat-based meal, No meat diet

What participants receive

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

  • Red meat-based mealOther

    Participants were provided with food as part of a meal plan. The research team provided all foods and snacks for the intervention.

  • No meat dietOther

    Participants were provided with food as part of a meal plan. The research team provided all foods and snacks for the intervention.

Study groups in NCT06261775
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
ControlOtherLow UPF no meat
Receives: Other: Red meat-based meal; Other: No meat diet
TestExperimentalLow UPF with Red meat
Receives: Other: Red meat-based meal; Other: No meat diet

What is being measured

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

  1. Concentration of phosphatidylcholine in blood

    Using Microplate Assay

    Measured: 8 weeks

Timeline

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

  1. First posted15 Feb 2024
  2. Study start30 Jan 2024
  3. Primary completion2 Jul 2026
  4. Study completion2 Jul 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
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
36 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06261775
Sponsor's protocol ID
IRB-2401011-EXM
Status last verified
Jan 2025
First submitted
7 Feb 2024
Last updated
17 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Vaezi S, de Vargas BO, Weidauer L, Freeling JL, Dey M. Effects of Minimally Processed Red Meat within a Plant-Forward Diet on Biomarkers of Physical and Cognitive Aging: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Feeding Trial. Curr Dev Nutr. 2025 Dec 10;10(1):107615. doi: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.107615. eCollection 2026 Jan.

    PubMed 41551721
  • Vaezi S, de Vargas BO, Freeling JL, Weidauer L, Dey M. Effects of Minimally Processed Red Meat Within a Plant-Forward Diet on Biomarkers of Physical and Cognitive Aging: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Feeding Trial. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2025 Aug 13:2025.08.11.25333443. doi: 10.1101/2025.08.11.25333443.

    PubMed 40832369

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Red meat-based meal and No meat diet in people with Healthy Lifestyle, run by South Dakota State University 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 5 inclusion and 10 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 17 Sep 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?

Concentration of phosphatidylcholine in blood (time frame: 8 weeks). 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 NCT06261775, which also lists 2 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 17 Sep 2026.

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