Effects of Daily Beef Intake, as a Component of a Heart-Healthy Diet on Cellular Zinc

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS · Feb 2, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at how eating beef as part of a heart-healthy diet might help the body absorb zinc better. Zinc is an important mineral that helps with many body functions, including heart health. The researchers believe that the way nutrients in beef work together could make zinc more effective when it gets into the cells. They are especially interested in older adults aged 55 to 70, as this group is more likely to have zinc deficiency and heart-related issues.

To participate in the study, you need to be a man or a postmenopausal woman between the ages of 55 and 70, and you should be in generally good health with a stable weight. Certain health conditions, like diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease, and specific dietary habits, like being vegan or consuming a lot of certain foods, may make you ineligible. If you join the trial, you will follow specific guidelines and may need to stop taking certain supplements for a while. The goal is to see if daily beef intake can positively affect your health by improving zinc levels in your body.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Male or postmenopausal female 55-70 years of age
• • Women: lack of menses for at least two years.
• • Subject is willing and able to comply with the study protocols.
• • Subject is willing to participate in all study procedures
• • Self-reported stable dose of prescribed medications for a minimum of 6 months
• • BMI 18.5 - 29.9 kg/m2
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Self-reported use of daily anticoagulation agents including aspirin, NSAIDs
• • Prescribed metaformin, statins or medications known to interfere with zinc, protein, or lipid metabolism
• • Vegan, Vegetarians, food faddists or those consuming a non-traditional diet (e.g. Adkins, Keto, Paleo, etc.)
• • Fruit consumption ≥ 3 cups/day
• • Regular consumption of strawberries (2-3 servings/week)
• • Vegetable consumption ≥ 4 cups/day
• • Coffee/tea ≥ 3 cups/day
• • Dark chocolate ≥ 3 oz/day
• • Alcohol intake greater than 2 drinks in a day for men, or 1 drink in a day for women.
• • Self-reported restriction of physical activity due to a chronic health condition
• • Self-reported chronic/routine high intensity exercise
• • Self-reported diabetes
• • Blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mm Hg
• • Self-reported renal or liver disease
• • Self-reported heart disease, which includes cardiovascular events and stroke
• • Peripheral artery disease Raynaud's syndrome or disease
• • Inability to properly place or wear the PAT probes or abnormal measurements on pre-screening PAT
• • Self-reported cancer within past 5 years
• • Self-reported malabsorption
• • Unwillingness to stop any supplement use six weeks prior to study initiation, including multivitamin/mineral, powders, herbal, plant or botanical, pro- and prebiotics, and oil supplements.
• • Smoking, vaping, cannabis use
• • Current enrollee in a clinical research study.