Comparison of Dairy and Plant-based Alternatives in Adolescents and Older Adults

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO · Mar 7, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The Dairy vs Plant study is looking at how different foods—dairy products versus plant-based alternatives—affect blood sugar levels and nutrition in healthy adolescents (ages 14-18) and older adults (ages 60-75). If you're in this age group and generally healthy, you might be eligible to participate. Key requirements include having a specific body weight range, being willing to keep your usual diet and activity levels, and not having certain health conditions like diabetes or thyroid problems.

As a participant, you would visit the Nutrition Intervention Center at the University of Toronto three times over a minimum of two weeks. During these visits, you'll fast overnight and then consume either a dairy or a plant-based product along with a pizza meal. You'll answer some questions about how you feel and provide small blood samples to measure your blood sugar and hormones. You will be compensated for your time and travel. This study aims to help us understand better how these foods affect our bodies, especially in different age groups.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age 14-18 years old (adolescents) or 60-75 years old (older adults)
• • BMI z-score \>+1SD, \<+2SD (adolescents) or BMI 25-30 kg/m2 (older adults)
• • Willing to maintain habitual diet, physical activity pattern, and body weight throughout the study.
• • Willing to maintain current dietary supplement use throughout the study. On study visit days, subject agrees not to take any supplements until dismissal from the Nutrition Intervention Center.
• • Willing to abstain from alcohol consumption for 24hrs prior to all study visits.
• • Willing to avoid vigorous physical activity for 24hrs prior to all study visits.
• • Willing to refrain from cannabis use throughout the entire duration of the study.
• • Willing to refrain from protein supplement use (e.g. protein powder) throughout the entire duration of the study.
• • Understands the study procedures, provides informed consent to participate in the study, and authorizes release of relevant protected health information to the study investigator.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Smoking
• • Thyroid problems
• • Lactose intolerance and/or allergies, intolerances, or sensitivities to study treatments
• • Previous history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver or kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, short bowel syndrome, malabsorptive syndrome, pancreatitis, gallbladder or biliary disease
• • Presence of gastrointestinal disorder or surgeries within the past year.
• • Inability to comply with the experimental procedures and follow our safety guidelines
• • Regular breakfast skipping (\>3 days a week)
• • On a special diet (e.g. ketogenic, Atkins, high protein) or restrained eaters as identified by a score of \>20 on the Eating Attitudes Questionnaire
• • Difficulties with eating or swallowing
• • Fasting blood glucose \>5.6mmol/L measured at screening
• • Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure \>120mmHg, diastolic blood pressure \>80mmHg) as defined by the average blood pressure measured at screening
• • Weight gain or loss of \>10lbs in previous three months
• • Consuming prescription or non-prescription drug, herbal or nutritional supplements known to affect outcome of the study as per investigator's judgement