Personalised Responses to Dietary Composition Trial

Plain-language summary

The foods we eat - our diet - can affect whether we develop diseases during our lives, such as diabetes or heart disease. This is because the amount and types of foods we eat can affect our weight, and because different foods are metabolised (processed) by the body in different ways. Scientists have also found that the bacteria in our guts (the gut microbiome) affects our metabolism, weight and health and that, together with a person's diet and metabolism, could be used to predict appetite and how meals affect levels of sugar (glucose) and fats (lipids) found in blood after eating. If blood sugar and fat are too high too often, there's a greater chance of developing diseases such as diabetes. The gut microbiome is different in different people. Only 10-20% of the types of bacteria found in our guts are found in everyone. This might mean that the best diet to prevent disease needs matching to a person's gut microbiome and it might be possible to find personalised foods or diets that will help reduce the chance of developing chronic disease as well as metabolic syndrome. The study investigators are recruiting volunteers aged 18 years or over from the TwinsUK cohort to take part in a study that aims to answer the questions above. The participants will need to come in for a clinical visit where they will give blood, stool, saliva and urine samples. The participants will also be given a standardised breakfast and lunch and fitted with a glucose monitor (Abbott Freestyle Libre-CE marked) to monitor their blood sugar levels. After the visit, the participants will be asked to eat standardised meals at home for breakfast for a further 12 days. Participants will also be required to prick their fingers at regular intervals to collect small amounts of blood, and to record constantly their appetite, food, physical activity and sleep using apps and wearable devices.

Who can participate

What they're measuring

Trial details