Digestion and metabolism of macronutrients in healthy and obese people
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the digestion and metabolism of macronutrients in healthy and obese volunteers
IRAS ID
254822
Contact name
Gary Frost
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Joint Research Compliance Office - Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Obesity is a public health problem. There is currently need for effective and economically viable treatment options. Of particular interest is the concept of foods or products designed to improve satiety (i.e. how hungry you feel). One method of improving satiety is via the release of the gut hormones glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) after a meal. Little is known about the effects of meals of altered macronutrient (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) content in the early stages of digestion, how they are processed and what metabolites (small molecules in biological fluids) they yeld and it is critical in understanding the stimulus for the early stages of gut hormones (hormones that control appetite) release and satiety. In obesity, evidence indicates that this stimulus may be abnormal and associated with impaired satiety. Males or females volunteers, aged 18-60 years, with normal weight (healthy group) or obesity (obese group) will be recruited for this study. Each person will attend a 4-day (in-patient stay) study visit. On the first day, a tube will be inserted through the nose with the end lying in the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). Some people will have another tube inserted through the nose with the end lying in the stomach. A small tube (cannula) will be placed on the lower forearm allowing for blood samples to take place. One days 2, 3 and 4 participants will be given a meal with different nutrient content at the beginning of each day, following which gut and blood samples will be taken and they will also be asked to complete short questionnaires to measure satiety. The results of this study may be important in determining potential dietary manipulations and other interventions to increase satiety and improve body weight control, thus contributing to the prevention and treatment of obesity.
REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SW/0023
Date of REC Opinion
28 Feb 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion