Actively Recruiting
A New Focus on Protein and the Gut Microbiota to Explain Health Benefits of Dairy Foods in Postmenopausal Overweight Women
Led by Laval University · Updated on 2026-05-11
75
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
26 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are studying the effects of dairy protein from yogurt compared to a plant-based yogurt on body composition, muscle mass, bone mineral density, gut microbiota, and metabolic health in postmenopausal overweight women. This research is based on previous findings that dairy protein casein may better prevent weight gain and insulin resistance than other protein mixes, partly due to changes in gut bacteria. The study includes both human and animal components to explore these effects and underlying mechanisms. The human study is a 12-week randomized clinical trial involving three groups: one consuming two servings daily of dairy yogurt, another consuming two servings daily of plant-based yogurt, and a control group maintaining their diet without supplements. The animal part will test the impact of transferring gut bacteria from human participants to germ-free mice to validate the human findings. Participants will undergo various assessments before and after the 12-week intervention, including measurements of bone health, gut microbiota composition and function, body weight, body composition, muscle health, metabolic rate, appetite, eating behaviors, blood sugar, insulin levels, lipid profile, blood pressure, and inflammation markers. This comprehensive monitoring aims to identify new biomarkers and understand the health effects of fermented dairy proteins in this population.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
Effect of Dairy Protein Yogourt vs Plant-based Yogourt on Body Weight, Body Composition, Bone Health and Gut Microbiota
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Postmenopausal women (absence of menstruation for at least 1 year and FSH > 40 IU/L)
- Body mass index (BMI) between 27.0 and 39.9 kg/m²
- Sedentary or moderately active lifestyle
- Female gender
- Age 40 years or older
You will not qualify if you...
- Body weight change greater than 5 kg in the 3 months before the study
- Currently dieting or following specific dietary patterns
- Previous or planned bariatric surgery
- Food allergies or intolerances, especially dairy proteins and lactose
- Serious health conditions such as renal insufficiency, diabetes, Cushing's disease, Paget's disease, parathyroid disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, uncontrolled thyroid disease
- Bone fracture within the past year
- Use of hormone therapy
- Medications affecting bone metabolism including osteoporosis treatments, anti-estrogen therapy for breast cancer, or epilepsy treatments
- Antibiotic use within 6 months before the study
- Use of probiotic supplements (capsules)
- Consuming more than two alcoholic drinks per day
- Smoking
- Drug abuse
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Your Study Journey
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - 12 weeks
Participants consume either dairy yogurt, plant-based yogurt, or no yogurt daily to assess effects on body weight, body composition, bone health, and gut microbiota.
Baseline visit and end-of-intervention visit
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
INAF, Université Laval
Québec, Quebec, Canada, G1V 0A6
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
J
Julie Marois, M.Sc.
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
PREVENTION
Number of Arms
3
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