Actively Recruiting
Study of How Eating Almonds Before Meals Affects Blood Sugar Control in Adults at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
Led by Pennington Biomedical Research Center · Updated on 2026-07-17
25
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
17 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
This research aims to find out if eating a small serving of almonds before meals can help control blood sugar levels in adults who show early signs of blood sugar regulation problems, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. The study investigates whether this dietary approach reduces the rise in blood sugar after eating and whether some people benefit more consistently than others. Participants will take part in two phases. The first phase involves a controlled setting where participants undergo mixed meal tolerance tests with and without eating almonds before meals. The second phase involves following a controlled diet at home for 10 days, sometimes including almonds before meals and sometimes not. The study uses several randomization sequences to compare responses with and without almond ingestion. During the study, participants will be monitored closely with blood sugar tests at various times before and after meals. Researchers will measure how almonds affect blood sugar spikes in both short-term tests and longer diet periods. The study also tracks individual differences in response to almonds and consistency between short-term and longer-term blood sugar control. The total study duration includes multiple test days and a 10-day home diet phase.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
Eating Almonds Before a Meal to Control Blood Sugar
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Adults aged 25 to 50 years
- Females over 40 years must have had a menstrual cycle within the last 6 months
- Body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 55.0 kg/m2
- Impaired blood glucose by at least one of the following: fasting blood glucose between 100 mg/dL and 125 mg/dL or HbA1c between 5.7% and 6.5%
- Willing and able to follow the study diet and ingest acetaminophen as part of study procedures
- Able to read, speak, and understand English
You will not qualify if you...
- Weight change of 5% or more in the past 6 months, actively trying to lose weight, or unwilling to maintain stable weight during the study
- Medical provider-diagnosed cardiovascular, kidney, or liver disease requiring treatment within the past 12 months
- Diagnosis of cancer (except skin cancer) in the last 5 years
- Diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- Medical provider-diagnosed gastrointestinal or neurological disorders not stable or managed for at least 3 months
- Medical provider-diagnosed psychiatric disorders including eating disorders or severe depression not stable or managed for at least 3 months
- Food allergies or other reasons preventing consumption of study foods
- Use of glucose-lowering medication except stable biguanides or GLP-1 receptor agonists for at least 3 months
- Current or recent smoking or vaping within the past 6 months
- Binge or heavy drinking exceeding 3 drinks on any occasion or 7 drinks per week
- Currently pregnant, planning pregnancy, or breastfeeding in the next 3 months
Research Team
K
Kaja Falkenhain, PhD
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