Study Comparing Effects of Dairy Yogurt and Plant-Based Yogurt on Body Weight, Bone Health, and Gut Microbiota in Postmenopausal Women

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.

Effect of Dairy Protein Yogourt vs Plant-based Yogourt on Body Weight, Body Composition, Bone Health and Gut Microbiota