Almonds, Gut Microbiome and Kids

Summary

This 8-week parallel-arm randomized controlled trial (N=70; ages 6-13) will determine the impact of daily almond butter consumption on gut microbiome composition and function, intestinal barrier integrity, and cardiometabolic health in school-aged children. Participants will be randomized to either a once-daily snack of personalized-portion almond butter (ALB; 16g, Creamy Natural Almond Butter) or an isocaloric nut-free chocolate spread control (CTL; 16g, Cadbury Milk Chocolate), each served on two plain unsalted saltine crackers, added to their habitual diet. The primary outcomes include oro-gut microbial composition and diversity, gut microbial functional capacity and metabolomics (SCFAs, bile acids, amino acid metabolites), and intestinal barrier integrity. Secondary outcomes include fasting cardiometabolic markers, systemic inflammation, appetite-regulatory and metabolic hormones, and sleep-related biomarkers. Feasibility, adherence (weekly logs; serum α-tocopherol), and precision nutrition potential will also be assessed, with stratified analyses by age, sex, BMI, ethnicity, and pubertal stage.

This pilot trial will generate the first multi-omics characterization of almond butter's effects on the gut-immune-metabolic axis in children.

Conditions

• Dysbiosis
• Cardiometabolic Health Indicators

Interventions

OTHER

Creamy Richards 100% Almonds! Creamy Natural Almond Butter

Almond Butter (ALB) Group: Participants in this group will receive a daily snack consisting of a personalized portion of smooth natural almond butter (Creamy Richards 100% Almonds! Creamy Natural Almond Butter) spread between two plain unsalted saltine crackers (Unsalted Tops Premium Saltine Crackers). The amount of almond butter will be limited to 16g per two crackers; additional crackers will be provided if the personalized portion exceeds this limit.

OTHER

Cadbury Milk Chocolate Spread

Control (CTL) Group: Participants in this group will receive a daily snack consisting of an isocaloric amount of a nut-free, vegetable oil-based chocolate spread ("Cadbury Milk Chocolate") spread between two plain unsalted saltine crackers ("Unsalted Tops Premium Saltine Crackers"). Similar to the peanut butter group, the chocolate spread will be limited to 16g per two crackers, with additional crackers provided if needed.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Almond Board of California

  collaborator OTHER

• Florida State University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Ravinder Nagpal, PhD · Florida State University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

6 Years

Max Age

13 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-08-01

Primary Completion

2028-08-31

Completion

2028-12-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations