Sodium ExcessNCT07726394
Effects of a Six-Day Whole-Diet Intervention on Taste Perception and Dietary Behaviour in Young Adults
A study testing Experimental: Increased Salty Food Intake, Experimental: Decrease Salty Food Intake and Active Comparator: Maintain Usual Diet in people with Sodium Excess and Hypertension, run by Sunway University at 1 site in Malaysia.
Trial summary
This study aims to investigate the effects of a specific diet modification on the pleasantness, desire, and saltiness intensities of selected foods and an ad libitum breakfast buffet through a randomized controlled trial with three arms. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 35 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Sodium Excess, Hypertension, Salty Taste
- What is being tested?
- Experimental: Increased Salty Food Intake, Experimental: Decrease Salty Food Intake and Active Comparator: Maintain Usual Diet
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 115 participants
- Where
- 1 siteMalaysia
- Study dates
- 1 Apr 2026to 31 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 18 to 35 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Being a student or staff member of Sunway University or Sunway College
- Aged 18-35 years
- Able to communicate in English
- Regularly consuming breakfast
- Being willing and able to comply with all study procedures.
Who cannot join
- Vegan/smokers/with chronic medical conditions (e.g., hypertension or diabetes)
- Food allergies
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Currently dieting or attempting to lose weight
- History of smell or taste impairment
- Use medications or supplements that could affect taste perception.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Malaysia1 site
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School, Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University,.
Subang Jaya, Selangor, 47500
About this study
Official title: Effects of a Six-Day Whole-Diet Intervention on Taste Perception, Dietary Behaviour, and Individual Differences in Young Adults
This study aims to investigate the effects of a specific diet modification on the pleasantness, desire, and saltiness intensities of selected foods and an ad libitum breakfast buffet through a randomized controlled trial with three arms. Participants will be randomized to either increase, decrease, or make no change to their daily intake of foods with a specific taste for six consecutive days, and outcomes will be assessed at two time points, at baseline (Day 1) and after the intervention (Day 7), alongside measures of adherence to the assigned diet. Each participant will receive an instruction to modify specific aspects of their diets for six days. This study is crucial for addressing diet-related health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in Malaysia. By providing robust evidence on the effectiveness of specific diet modifications, the study can inform public health policies, improve dietary recommendations tailored to Malaysian cultural preferences, and promote long-term benefits.
Read the detailed description
Excess dietary sodium intake is a major modifiable risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Public health strategies often assume that reducing exposure to salty foods will lower salt preference and encourage healthier food choices through sensory adaptation; however, evidence from whole-diet interventions conducted under real-world conditions remains limited and inconsistent. Dietary sodium consumption substantially exceeds recommended levels in many countries, including Malaysia, and contributes to the global burden of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Public health sodium reduction programmes are based on the premise that lowering exposure to salty foods can gradually shift taste preferences towards less salty diets through sensory adaptation. However, evidence supporting this mechanism is mixed, and most previous studies have relied on controlled laboratory settings, single foods, or salt solutions rather than whole-diet interventions.
The study aims to determine whether short-term changes in dietary sodium exposure are sufficient to modify salt taste perception and related eating behaviors and to identify factors associated with individual variation in these responses. The primary objective is to determine whether increasing or decreasing exposure to salty foods over six days alters salt-related taste perception compared with maintaining usual dietary habits. Secondary objectives are to examine changes in sodium intake and appetite-related outcomes and to explore demographic and anthropometric factors associated with taste perception responses. The findings will improve understanding of short-term sensory adaptation to dietary sodium exposure and provide evidence relevant to sodium reduction policies, food reformulation efforts, and behavioral interventions aimed at reducing population sodium intake.
- Conditions
- Sodium Excess, Hypertension, Salty Taste
- Being tested
- Experimental: Increased Salty Food Intake, Experimental: Decrease Salty Food Intake, Active Comparator: Maintain Usual Diet
- Keywords
- Dietary sodium, Taste adaptation, Taste perception, Sodium intake, Public health nutrition
- Medical subject headings
- Hypernatremia, Hypertension
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Experimental: Increased Salty Food IntakeOther
Participants assigned to the increase group were instructed to increase their consumption of salty-tasting foods and beverages for six consecutive days (Days 1-6) while living in their usual environment. Participants selected their own foods and beverages but were encouraged to choose options consistent with a higher-salt dietary pattern. Written guidance and meal examples were provided to support implementation. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (Day 1) and after the intervention (Day 7).
Experimental: Decrease Salty Food IntakeOther
Participants assigned to the decrease group were instructed to reduce their consumption of salty-tasting foods and beverages for six consecutive days (Days 1-6). Participants selected their own foods and beverages while attempting to minimize intake of high-salt items according to written guidance and examples. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (Day 1) and after the intervention (Day 7).
A six-day, self-directed dietary intervention designed to reduce exposure to salty foods and beverages under free-living conditions. Participants modified their habitual diet without direct provision of foods by the investigators
Active Comparator: Maintain Usual DietOther
Participants assigned to the maintain group were instructed to continue their usual eating habits and dietary practices for six consecutive days without making deliberate changes to salty food consumption. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (Day 1) and after the intervention (Day 7).
A six-day control condition in which participants maintained their habitual dietary intake under free-living conditions.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Increase salty food consumption | Experimental | Participants increase intake of salty foods and beverages. Receives: Other: Experimental: Increased Salty Food Intake |
| Decrease salty food consumption | Experimental | Participants decrease intake of salty foods and beverages. Receives: Other: Experimental: Decrease Salty Food Intake |
| Maintain usual diet | Active comparator | Participants continue their habitual dietary practices Receives: Other: Active Comparator: Maintain Usual Diet |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Pleasantness
Pleasantness ratings, indicated after tasting three salty foods (Foods 1-3) and three non-salty foods (Foods 4-6), will be measured on a 10-point Likert scale.
The rating scores will be averaged across the six test foods to generate composite scores. The aggregated pleasantness score will be used to capture overall taste responses rather than food-specific effects, consistent with whole-diet taste exposure theory.
Measured: Pleasantness ratings will be collected at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Desire to eat
Desire to eat ratings, indicated after tasting three salty foods (Foods 1-3) and three non-salty foods (Foods 4-6), will be measured on a 10-point Likert scale.
The rating scores will be averaged across the six test foods to generate composite scores. The aggregated pleasantness score will be used to capture overall taste responses rather than food-specific effects, consistent with whole-diet taste exposure theory.
Measured: Desire to eat ratings will be collected at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Saltiness intensity
Saltiness intensity ratings, indicated after tasting three salty foods (Foods 1-3) and three non-salty foods (Foods 4-6), will be measured on a 10-point Likert scale.
The rating scores will be averaged across the six test foods to generate composite scores. The aggregated pleasantness score will be used to capture overall taste responses rather than food-specific effects, consistent with whole-diet taste exposure theory.
Measured: Saltiness intensity ratings will be collected at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Secondary outcomes (4)
Dietary sodium intake
Dietary sodium intake will be estimated from pre- and post-foods consumed by each participant.
Measured: Dietary sodium intake is estimated at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Sodium Density
Sodium density (mg/g) will be computed to distinguish compositional from volumetric changes in sodium intake.
Measured: Sodium density will be assessed at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Appetite
Appetite will be rated on 0-10 Likert scales at the start of each test session.
Measured: Appetite will be assessed at the baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Adherence
Adherence is a self-reported measure rated on a 10-point Likert scale.
Measured: Adherence was assessed only on Day 7
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Jul 2026
- Study start1 Apr 2026
- Primary completion31 Jul 2026
- Study completion31 Jul 2026
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 Sodium ExcessStudies 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 115 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Sunway University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, YookChin Chia, Sunway University
- Investigators
- Yee-How Say, PhD, Principal investigator, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School, Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07726394
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SunwayU
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 15 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 27 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: The principal investigator will make the data available on reasonable request
Publications
Mojadadi A, Au A, Ortiz Cerda T, Shao JY, O'Neil T, Bell-Anderson K, Andersen JW, Webb J, Salah W, Ahmad G, Harris HH, Witting PK. Dietary supplementation of male mice with inorganic, organic or nanoparticle selenium preparations: evidence supporting a putative gut-thyroid-male fertility axis. Redox Rep. 2025 Dec;30(1):2495367. doi: 10.1080/13510002.2025.2495367. Epub 2025 Apr 25.
PubMed 40277453Bielat AD, Rogers PJ, Appleton KM. Effects of a six-day, whole-diet sweet taste intervention on pleasantness, desire for and intakes of sweet foods: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Nutr. 2025 Jan 28;133(2):277-288. doi: 10.1017/S0007114524003209. Epub 2024 Dec 19.
PubMed 39698772
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of a Six-Day Whole-Diet Intervention on Taste Perception, Dietary Behaviour, and Individual Differences in Young Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07726394
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SunwayU
- Conditions
- Sodium Excess, Hypertension, Salty Taste
- Keywords
- Dietary sodium, Taste adaptation, Taste perception, Sodium intake, Public health nutrition
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 115 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Sunway UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Jul 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Jul 2026 (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.
This study aims to investigate the effects of a specific diet modification on the pleasantness, desire, and saltiness intensities of selected foods and an ad libitum breakfast buffet through a randomized controlled trial with three arms. Participants will be randomized to either increase, decrease, or make no change to their daily intake of foods with a specific taste for six consecutive days, and outcomes will be assessed at two time points, at baseline (Day 1) and after the intervention (Day 7), alongside measures of adherence to the assigned diet. Each participant will receive an instruction to modify specific aspects of their diets for six days. This study is crucial for addressing diet-related health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in Malaysia. By providing robust evidence on the effectiveness of specific diet modifications, the study can inform public health policies, improve dietary recommendations tailored to Malaysian cultural preferences, and promote long-term benefits.
Detailed description
Excess dietary sodium intake is a major modifiable risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Public health strategies often assume that reducing exposure to salty foods will lower salt preference and encourage healthier food choices through sensory adaptation; however, evidence from whole-diet interventions conducted under real-world conditions remains limited and inconsistent. Dietary sodium consumption substantially exceeds recommended levels in many countries, including Malaysia, and contributes to the global burden of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Public health sodium reduction programmes are based on the premise that lowering exposure to salty foods can gradually shift taste preferences towards less salty diets through sensory adaptation. However, evidence supporting this mechanism is mixed, and most previous studies have relied on controlled laboratory settings, single foods, or salt solutions rather than whole-diet interventions.
The study aims to determine whether short-term changes in dietary sodium exposure are sufficient to modify salt taste perception and related eating behaviors and to identify factors associated with individual variation in these responses. The primary objective is to determine whether increasing or decreasing exposure to salty foods over six days alters salt-related taste perception compared with maintaining usual dietary habits. Secondary objectives are to examine changes in sodium intake and appetite-related outcomes and to explore demographic and anthropometric factors associated with taste perception responses. The findings will improve understanding of short-term sensory adaptation to dietary sodium exposure and provide evidence relevant to sodium reduction policies, food reformulation efforts, and behavioral interventions aimed at reducing population sodium intake.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Increase salty food consumption | Experimental | Other: Experimental: Increased Salty Food IntakeParticipants increase intake of salty foods and beverages. |
| Decrease salty food consumption | Experimental | Other: Experimental: Decrease Salty Food IntakeParticipants decrease intake of salty foods and beverages. |
| Maintain usual diet | Active comparator | Other: Active Comparator: Maintain Usual DietParticipants continue their habitual dietary practices |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 35 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Being a student or staff member of Sunway University or Sunway College
- Aged 18-35 years
- Able to communicate in English
- Regularly consuming breakfast
- Being willing and able to comply with all study procedures.
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Vegan/smokers/with chronic medical conditions (e.g., hypertension or diabetes)
- Food allergies
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Currently dieting or attempting to lose weight
- History of smell or taste impairment
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: Increased Salty Food IntakeParticipants assigned to the increase group were instructed to increase their consumption of salty-tasting foods and beverages for six consecutive days (Days 1-6) while living in their usual environment. Participants selected their own foods and beverages but were encouraged to choose options consistent with a higher-salt dietary pattern. Written guidance and meal examples were provided to support implementation. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (Day 1) and after the intervention (Day 7). | Other | Increase salty food consumption |
| Experimental: Decrease Salty Food IntakeParticipants assigned to the decrease group were instructed to reduce their consumption of salty-tasting foods and beverages for six consecutive days (Days 1-6). Participants selected their own foods and beverages while attempting to minimize intake of high-salt items according to written guidance and examples. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (Day 1) and after the intervention (Day 7). A six-day, self-directed dietary intervention designed to reduce exposure to salty foods and beverages under free-living conditions. Participants modified their habitual diet without direct provision of foods by the investigators | Other | Decrease salty food consumption |
| Active Comparator: Maintain Usual DietParticipants assigned to the maintain group were instructed to continue their usual eating habits and dietary practices for six consecutive days without making deliberate changes to salty food consumption. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (Day 1) and after the intervention (Day 7). A six-day control condition in which participants maintained their habitual dietary intake under free-living conditions. | Other | Maintain usual diet |
Primary outcome
Pleasantness
Time frame: Pleasantness ratings will be collected at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Pleasantness ratings, indicated after tasting three salty foods (Foods 1-3) and three non-salty foods (Foods 4-6), will be measured on a 10-point Likert scale. The rating scores will be averaged across the six test foods to generate composite scores. The aggregated pleasantness score will be used to capture overall taste responses rather than food-specific effects, consistent with whole-diet taste exposure theory.
Desire to eat
Time frame: Desire to eat ratings will be collected at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Desire to eat ratings, indicated after tasting three salty foods (Foods 1-3) and three non-salty foods (Foods 4-6), will be measured on a 10-point Likert scale. The rating scores will be averaged across the six test foods to generate composite scores. The aggregated pleasantness score will be used to capture overall taste responses rather than food-specific effects, consistent with whole-diet taste exposure theory.
Saltiness intensity
Time frame: Saltiness intensity ratings will be collected at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Saltiness intensity ratings, indicated after tasting three salty foods (Foods 1-3) and three non-salty foods (Foods 4-6), will be measured on a 10-point Likert scale. The rating scores will be averaged across the six test foods to generate composite scores. The aggregated pleasantness score will be used to capture overall taste responses rather than food-specific effects, consistent with whole-diet taste exposure theory.
4 secondary outcomes
Dietary sodium intake
Time frame: Dietary sodium intake is estimated at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Sodium Density
Time frame: Sodium density will be assessed at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Appetite
Time frame: Appetite will be assessed at the baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Adherence
Time frame: Adherence was assessed only on Day 7
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 Aug 2026.
- Background: PubMed 40277453Mojadadi A, Au A, Ortiz Cerda T, Shao JY, O'Neil T, Bell-Anderson K, Andersen JW, Webb J, Salah W, Ahmad G, Harris HH, Witting PK. Dietary supplementation of male mice with inorganic, organic or nanoparticle selenium preparations: evidence supporting a putative gut-thyroid-male fertility axis. Redox Rep. 2025 Dec;30(1):2495367. doi: 10.1080/13510002.2025.2495367. Epub 2025 Apr 25.
- Background: PubMed 39698772Bielat AD, Rogers PJ, Appleton KM. Effects of a six-day, whole-diet sweet taste intervention on pleasantness, desire for and intakes of sweet foods: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Nutr. 2025 Jan 28;133(2):277-288. doi: 10.1017/S0007114524003209. Epub 2024 Dec 19.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. The principal investigator will make the data available on reasonable request
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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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Yee-How Say, PhD principal investigator
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School, Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Experimental: Increased Salty Food Intake, Experimental: Decrease Salty Food Intake and Active Comparator: Maintain Usual Diet in people with Sodium Excess and Hypertension, run by Sunway University at 1 site in Malaysia.
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 6 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 27 Aug 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 Malaysia. 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?
Pleasantness (time frame: Pleasantness ratings will be collected at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7). The study lists 3 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 NCT07726394, 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 27 Aug 2026.