Dietary InterventionNCT06690892
Investigating the Effects of Beef Consumption on Cognitive and Brain Health
A study testing Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 5-oz packages and Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 1-oz packages in people with Dietary Intervention and Dietary Proteins, run by University of Nebraska Lincoln at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if eating more beef will lead to better cognition and a healthier brain in younger adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does eating more beef lead to higher scores on cognitive tests and better quality of life? Does eating more beef lead to better brain… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 19 to 24 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Dietary Intervention, Dietary Proteins, Dietary Assessment
- What is being tested?
- Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 5-oz packages and Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 1-oz packages
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 240 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 22 Sep 2025to Sep 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 19 to 24 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
- Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and lifestyle considerations and availability for the duration of the study
- Males and females; Age 19-24
- Willingness to adhere to the ready-to-eat beef intervention regimen
- Lives within 75 miles of Lincoln, NE
- BMI between 18.5 and 39.9
Show all 11Show fewer
- Not pregnant or nursing
- No history of cognitive or metabolic diseases indicated by diagnosis, including neurodegenerative disease, stroke, Type 1 and 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, kidney disease, and cancer
- No history of eating or anxiety disorders
- Willing to discontinue dietary supplement use throughout the duration of the study, if they are consuming supplement at the time of the registration
- No known contraindication to MRI scans as determined by the MRI screening survey questions
Who cannot join
- Current use of medications that may affect their responses to dietary intervention, such as amphetamines, antidepressants, anti-diabetic medications, laxatives, antibiotics, statins and diuretics.
- Known intolerance or allergy to beef
- Current use of nicotine products, including vaping
- Previous use of nicotine products, including vaping, within the recent 6 months at the time of pre-screening
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588
Douglas H Schultz, PhD, 320-444-2948, dschultz14@unl.edu
Aron Barbey, PhD, 402-472-1843, abarbey2@unl.edu
About this study
Official title: Understanding the Cognitive and Brain Health Effects of Increasing Beef Consumption in Young Adults
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if eating more beef will lead to better cognition and a healthier brain in younger adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does eating more beef lead to higher scores on cognitive tests and better quality of life?
- Does eating more beef lead to better brain function?
Read more
Researchers will compare participants in the experimental group (participants who will eat 25 ounces of beef every week during the dietary intervention) to control participants (participants who will eat 5 ounces of beef every week during the dietary intervention).
Participants will:
- Be instructed to prepare and consume ready-to-eat beef meals along with their regular diet and not eat any more beef other than what they are given
- Visit the study facilities once every week to pick up ready-to-eat beef meals; and complete a brief survey every week to track their consumption of the provided beef meals, and a dietary survey every 4 weeks
- Visit the study facilities before and after the 12-week of intervention period for researchers to study them
Read the detailed description
The goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of beef consumption on cognitive and brain health in healthy younger adults. Specifically, we seek to evaluate the effects of beef consumption on measures of executive function, memory, psychological well-being, and sleep quality. Additionally, we will explore the effects of increased beef consumption on measures of brain health derived from structural and functional brain imaging.
The study will consist of two groups of participants: experimental and control. Participants from both groups will take part in a 12-week dietary intervention. Throughout the intervention, participants in the experimental group will receive 5 portions of ready-to-eat lean beef in frozen packages every week; and consume 5 portions per week. Each serving of ready-to-eat beef for the experimental group will weigh 5-ounces. Participants in the control group will also receive 5 portions of ready-to-eat lean beef in frozen packages every week; and consume 5 portions per week. Each serving of ready-to-eat beef for the control group will weigh 1-ounce. Study compliance will be evaluated through weekly surveys about beef consumption.
In addition, all participants will complete pre- and post-intervention assessments:
- MRI scan, including structural and functional brain imaging
- a comprehensive questionnaire battery evaluating cognitive and psychological measures
- neuropsychological tasks
- a blood draw
- Being tested
- Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 5-oz packages, Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 1-oz packages
- Keywords
- beef consumption, beef dietary intervention, brain health, cognitive health
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 5-oz packagesDietary supplement
The dietary intervention lasts 12 weeks for each individual. Participants in the experimental group will receive this intervention. Each participant will acquire 5 portions of ready-to eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week (1 portion of sirloin cap steak strips, 1 portion of shredded chuck roast, 1 portion of petite shoulder medallions, and 2 portions of ground beef crumbles); each portion of ready-to-eat beef in this intervention will weigh 5 ounces.
Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 1-oz packagesDietary supplement
The dietary intervention lasts 12 weeks for each individual. Participants in the control group will receive this intervention. Each participant will acquire 5 portions of ready-to eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week (1 portion of sirloin cap steak strips, 1 portion of shredded chuck roast, 1 portion of petite shoulder medallions, and 2 portions of ground beef crumbles); each portion of ready-to-eat beef in this intervention will weigh 1 ounce.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Group | Experimental | The experimental group will participate in the 12-week beef dietary intervention study. Participants will be provided with 5 portions of ready-to-eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week. Each portion of beef provided to this group will weigh 5 ounces. Receives: Dietary Supplement: Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 5-oz packages |
| Control Group | Placebo comparator | The control group will participate in the 12-week beef dietary intervention. Participants will be provided with 5 portions of ready-to-eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week. Each portion of beef provided to this group will weigh 1 ounce. Receives: Dietary Supplement: Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 1-oz packages |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
WAIS-V
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, verison 5. Comprehensive assessment battery for measuring cognitive abilities
Measured: Baseline and after 12 weeks
NIH Toolbox (Dimensional Change Card Sort)
Test for executive function and cognitive flexibility
Measured: Baseline and after 12 weeks
NIH Toolbox (Flanker)
test for executive functions: attention and inhibitory control
Measured: Baseline and after 12 weeks
NIH Toolbox (List Sorting Working Memory Test)
Test for working memory
Measured: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Cognitive Reflection Test
Test to measure the ability to suppress an intuitive wrong answer in favor of a more reflective correct answer
Measured: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Short Form-36 Health Survey
self-report measure of health status and quality of life
Measured: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Decision Outcome Inventory
an assessment of outcomes of real-life decisions
Measured: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Self-report assessment of sleep quality over the past month. The survey includes measures related to Sleep Latency, Sleep Duration, Sleep Efficiency, Sleep Disturbances, Use of Sleep Medications, Daytime Fatigue, and Sleep Quality
Measured: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Symptom Checklist 90-Revised
self-report assessment of psychological symptoms related to the domains of somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism
Measured: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes (1)
Brain Imaging
- T1- weighted imaging to visualize the structure of the brain
- Functional MRI of the whole brain to examine changes in brain activity and functional topology
- Diffusion tensor imaging to map the white matter structures in the brain
Measured: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Nov 2024
- Study start22 Sep 2025
- Primary completionSep 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionSep 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Dietary InterventionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 240 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Aron Barbey, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Nebraska Lincoln
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06690892
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 23404
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 28 Oct 2024
- Last updated
- 29 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Study findings will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals such as those that follow the ICMJE's recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. The data collected in this project may be shared through public-use files, repositories or other means outside of the approved research team as a requirement of publication. All data will be identified with subject IDs only when shared. Research records such as informed consent forms, MRI Safety Screening forms, research compliance records, masterlist linking names to subject IDs will not be shared.
Publications
Zhang H, Hardie L, Bawajeeh AO, Cade J. Meat Consumption, Cognitive Function and Disorders: A Systematic Review with Narrative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2020 May 24;12(5):1528. doi: 10.3390/nu12051528.
PubMed 32456281Hepsomali P, Groeger JA. Diet and general cognitive ability in the UK Biobank dataset. Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 3;11(1):11786. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-91259-3.
PubMed 34083695
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Understanding the Cognitive and Brain Health Effects of Increasing Beef Consumption in Young Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06690892
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 23404
- Keywords
- beef consumption, beef dietary intervention, brain health, cognitive health
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 240 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Nebraska LincolnUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff
- Study start
- 22 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Sep 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 15 Nov 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if eating more beef will lead to better cognition and a healthier brain in younger adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does eating more beef lead to higher scores on cognitive tests and better quality of life?
- Does eating more beef lead to better brain function?
Researchers will compare participants in the experimental group (participants who will eat 25 ounces of beef every week during the dietary intervention) to control participants (participants who will eat 5 ounces of beef every week during the dietary intervention).
Participants will:
- Be instructed to prepare and consume ready-to-eat beef meals along with their regular diet and not eat any more beef other than what they are given
- Visit the study facilities once every week to pick up ready-to-eat beef meals; and complete a brief survey every week to track their consumption of the provided beef meals, and a dietary survey every 4 weeks
- Visit the study facilities before and after the 12-week of intervention period for researchers to study them
Detailed description
The goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of beef consumption on cognitive and brain health in healthy younger adults. Specifically, we seek to evaluate the effects of beef consumption on measures of executive function, memory, psychological well-being, and sleep quality. Additionally, we will explore the effects of increased beef consumption on measures of brain health derived from structural and functional brain imaging.
The study will consist of two groups of participants: experimental and control. Participants from both groups will take part in a 12-week dietary intervention. Throughout the intervention, participants in the experimental group will receive 5 portions of ready-to-eat lean beef in frozen packages every week; and consume 5 portions per week. Each serving of ready-to-eat beef for the experimental group will weigh 5-ounces. Participants in the control group will also receive 5 portions of ready-to-eat lean beef in frozen packages every week; and consume 5 portions per week. Each serving of ready-to-eat beef for the control group will weigh 1-ounce. Study compliance will be evaluated through weekly surveys about beef consumption.
In addition, all participants will complete pre- and post-intervention assessments:
- MRI scan, including structural and functional brain imaging
- a comprehensive questionnaire battery evaluating cognitive and psychological measures
- neuropsychological tasks
- a blood draw
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Group | Experimental | Dietary Supplement: Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 5-oz packagesThe experimental group will participate in the 12-week beef dietary intervention study. Participants will be provided with 5 portions of ready-to-eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week. Each portion of beef provided to this group will weigh 5 ounces. |
| Control Group | Placebo comparator | Dietary Supplement: Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 1-oz packagesThe control group will participate in the 12-week beef dietary intervention. Participants will be provided with 5 portions of ready-to-eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week. Each portion of beef provided to this group will weigh 1 ounce. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 19 to 24 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (11 listed)
- Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
- Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and lifestyle considerations and availability for the duration of the study
- Males and females; Age 19-24
- Willingness to adhere to the ready-to-eat beef intervention regimen
- Lives within 75 miles of Lincoln, NE
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Current use of medications that may affect their responses to dietary intervention, such as amphetamines, antidepressants, anti-diabetic medications, laxatives, antibiotics, statins and diuretics.
- Known intolerance or allergy to beef
- Current use of nicotine products, including vaping
- Previous use of nicotine products, including vaping, within the recent 6 months at the time of pre-screening
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 5-oz packagesThe dietary intervention lasts 12 weeks for each individual. Participants in the experimental group will receive this intervention. Each participant will acquire 5 portions of ready-to eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week (1 portion of sirloin cap steak strips, 1 portion of shredded chuck roast, 1 portion of petite shoulder medallions, and 2 portions of ground beef crumbles); each portion of ready-to-eat beef in this intervention will weigh 5 ounces. | Dietary supplement | Experimental Group |
| Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 1-oz packagesThe dietary intervention lasts 12 weeks for each individual. Participants in the control group will receive this intervention. Each participant will acquire 5 portions of ready-to eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week (1 portion of sirloin cap steak strips, 1 portion of shredded chuck roast, 1 portion of petite shoulder medallions, and 2 portions of ground beef crumbles); each portion of ready-to-eat beef in this intervention will weigh 1 ounce. | Dietary supplement | Control Group |
Primary outcome
WAIS-V
Time frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, verison 5. Comprehensive assessment battery for measuring cognitive abilities
NIH Toolbox (Dimensional Change Card Sort)
Time frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Test for executive function and cognitive flexibility
NIH Toolbox (Flanker)
Time frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks
test for executive functions: attention and inhibitory control
NIH Toolbox (List Sorting Working Memory Test)
Time frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Test for working memory
Cognitive Reflection Test
Time frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Test to measure the ability to suppress an intuitive wrong answer in favor of a more reflective correct answer
Short Form-36 Health Survey
Time frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks
self-report measure of health status and quality of life
Decision Outcome Inventory
Time frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks
an assessment of outcomes of real-life decisions
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Time frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Self-report assessment of sleep quality over the past month. The survey includes measures related to Sleep Latency, Sleep Duration, Sleep Efficiency, Sleep Disturbances, Use of Sleep Medications, Daytime Fatigue, and Sleep Quality
Symptom Checklist 90-Revised
Time frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks
self-report assessment of psychological symptoms related to the domains of somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism
1 secondary outcome
Brain Imaging
Time frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 29 May 2026.
- Background: PubMed 32456281Zhang H, Hardie L, Bawajeeh AO, Cade J. Meat Consumption, Cognitive Function and Disorders: A Systematic Review with Narrative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2020 May 24;12(5):1528. doi: 10.3390/nu12051528.
- Background: PubMed 34083695Hepsomali P, Groeger JA. Diet and general cognitive ability in the UK Biobank dataset. Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 3;11(1):11786. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-91259-3.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Study findings will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals such as those that follow the ICMJE's recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. The data collected in this project may be shared through public-use files, repositories or other means outside of the approved research team as a requirement of publication. All data will be identified with subject IDs only when shared. Research records such as informed consent forms, MRI Safety Screening forms, research compliance records, masterlist linking names to subject IDs will not be shared.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Aron Barbey, PhD principal investigator
University of Nebraska Lincoln
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 5-oz packages and Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 1-oz packages in people with Dietary Intervention and Dietary Proteins, run by University of Nebraska Lincoln 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 11 inclusion and 4 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 May 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Douglas Schultz, PhD (402-472-1843, dschultz14@unl.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
WAIS-V (time frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks). The study lists 9 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 NCT06690892, 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 29 May 2026.