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Assessing the Influence of Habitual Beef Intake on Key Molecular Markers of Brain Health

NCT07623785 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 20

Last updated 2026-06-03

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

his study investigates whether eating lean beef every day can help support brain health and healthy aging in older adults. As people age, protecting memory and cognitive function becomes increasingly important. Lean beef is a rich source of essential nutrients-such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and creatine-that are known to support brain function. However, the direct biological effects of a beef-rich diet on brain health markers are not fully understood.

In this study, researchers will recruit 20 generally healthy older adults (aged 65 and older) to participate in a dietary feeding trial. Participants will complete two separate 2-week dietary phases. During one phase, participants will consume 5.5 ounces (156 grams) of provided lean beef daily. During the other phase, they will consume an iso-caloric, protein-matched, non-beef control food daily. A two-week "washout" period, where participants return to their normal diets, will separate the two phases to ensure there are no overlapping effects.

Researchers will collect blood, urine, stool, and saliva samples at the beginning and end of each 2-week dietary phase. These samples will be analyzed to see if the lean beef diet improves specific biological markers in the blood related to memory, nerve protection, and overall brain aging. Ultimately, the findings from this study will help determine if incorporating lean beef into a regular diet can be a natural, food-based strategy to help preserve neurological health in older adults.

Conditions

  • Healthy Aging
  • Brain Health
  • Cardiometabolic Health
  • Normal Aging
  • Cognitive Decline Prevention in Robust Older Adults

Interventions

OTHER

Lean Beef

Participants will be provided with and instructed to consume 156 grams (5.5 ounces) of cooked lean beef daily for 14 days.

OTHER

Non-Beef Control

Participants will be provided with and instructed to consume an iso-caloric, macronutrient- and protein-matched non-beef control consisting of a mixture of cottage cheese and whey protein daily for 14 days.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • South Dakota State University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-06-03
Primary Completion
2026-08-30
Completion
2027-07-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07623785 on ClinicalTrials.gov