Confirmation of Diet as a Treatment for Gulf War Illness

Launched by AMERICAN UNIVERSITY · Jan 5, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at whether a specific diet can help improve symptoms of Gulf War Illness in veterans. Previous smaller studies showed that participants who followed this diet felt significantly better after just one month. The researchers want to confirm these findings with a larger group of veterans and explore how this diet might affect the nervous system. They will also check for changes in blood markers that could indicate improvement after following the diet.

To participate, you need to be a veteran who served in the Gulf War (1990-1991) and be 75 years old or younger. You'll need to meet certain health criteria, including being stable on your medications for at least a month. During the study, participants will be randomly assigned to either follow the diet or be in a wait-list control group for one month, after which they will be reassessed to see how they did. If you're interested in a potential new way to feel better and meet the eligibility criteria, this study could be a great opportunity!

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Males and Females of all races and ethnicities who are ≤75 yrs of age
• • Served in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War
• • Fulfill both Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Kansas definitions of Gulf War Illness
• • Stable medication regimen for ≥1 month and willing to keep medications and supplements stable throughout study participation
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Recent substance use disorder (past year)
• • Unwilling to stop using alcohol, tobacco (including vaping) and/or marijuana; or unwilling to change diet
• • Diagnosed seizure disorder or severe asthma requiring past hospitalization
• • Currently taking medication which affects glutamatergic or GABAergic neurotransmission (but can work with their physician to wean off of these medications prior to participating)