Health Assessment of Low Glycaemic Index - High Protein Rice to Enhance Glycemic Control Through Nutrition
HARVEST
2 other identifiers
interventional
225
0 countries
N/A
Brief Summary
Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) represents a critical public health challenge in Singapore, with prevalence projected to reach one million residents by 2050. This epidemic is largely driven by a distinct "Asian phenotype" characterized by reduced insulin secretion capacity even at lower BMIs and a diet heavily centered on high-glycemic index (GI) white rice. While brown rice offers superior nutritional benefits, its global and local adoption remains low due to entrenched cultural preferences, shorter shelf life, and sensory barriers. While the link between high-GI carbohydrates and metabolic dysfunction is well-documented, there is limited clinical evidence on the effects of "functional" white rice varieties specifically those engineered to combine low GI properties with significantly enhanced protein content on long-term glycemic control, metabolic and gut microbiome health in Asian populations. The importance of this research lies in its evaluation of a culturally seamless substitution strategy. By replacing conventional white rice with Low-GI (LGI) and High-Protein Low-GI (LGI-HP) varieties, the HARVEST study addresses the metabolic burden of prediabetes without requiring major behavioral shifts. The findings will provide vital mechanistic insights into glucose regulation, insulin sensitivity, and microbial dysbiosis, to provide the evidence based for nutritional strategies for T2D prevention and management.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Aug 2026
Typical duration for not_applicable
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
June 17, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
June 23, 2026
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
August 10, 2026
ExpectedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
April 30, 2029
Study Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
April 30, 2029
June 23, 2026
June 1, 2026
2.7 years
June 17, 2026
June 17, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Change in Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels
To evaluate the efficacy of a 16-week intervention with functional rice varieties on chronic glycaemic management in Singaporean adults with prediabetes, as measured by change in Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels.
16 weeks
Study Arms (3)
High glycaemic index rice (HGI)
EXPERIMENTALParticipants will replace their habitual rice consumption with 4 servings (equivalent to approximately 2 bowls or \~400 g of cooked rice) per day of HGI rice while keeping other dietary components consistent.
Low glycaemic index rice (LGI)
EXPERIMENTALParticipants will replace their habitual rice consumption with 4 servings (equivalent to approximately 2 bowls or \~400 g of cooked rice) per day of LGI rice while keeping other dietary components consistent.
Low glycaemic index high protein rice (LGI-HP)
EXPERIMENTALParticipants will replace their habitual rice consumption with 4 servings (equivalent to approximately 2 bowls or \~400 g of cooked rice) per day of LGI-HP rice while keeping other dietary components consistent.
Interventions
Single-blinded, 16 week parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 225 participants with prediabetes. Participants are randomized into one of three arms to consume either high glycaemic index rice (HGI), low glycaemic index rice (LGI), or low glycaemic index high protein rice (LGI-HP). In each arm (n = 75), participants will replace their habitual rice consumption with 4 servings (equivalent to approximately 2 bowls or \~400 g of cooked rice) per day of the assigned rice group while keeping other dietary components consistent.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Males or females, aged 40 to 65 years old
- Chinese, Malay or Indian
- Body Mass Index between 23.0 - 32.0 kg/m2
- Prediabetes profile as per fasting plasma glucose (≤ 6.9 mmol/L) and HbA1c level (5.7% - 6.4%)
- Habitually consuming about 3 to 5 servings of polished white rice per day
- No known food allergies and intolerance to food provided as part of study procedures
- Proficient in English language
- Willing to comply to study procedures and provide written consent
You may not qualify if:
- Diagnosed with Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus/ OGTT failure during screening visit
- History or current diagnosis of cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, haematological, hepatitis (hepatitis B and C), cancers (except basal cell carcinoma), chronic kidney disease or other medical conditions which may affect study outcomes, as assessed by study team
- Having chronic medication (eg: metformin, oral corticosteroids etc), and/or supplements that may influence glycaemic management and other study outcomes, as assessed by study team
- History of bariatric surgery
- Significant weight change (± 5 % body weight) during the last 3 months
- Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning pregnancy
- Drug abuse within the last 5 years
- Excessive alcohol consumption \> 2 servings per day
- Smoking in the last 1 year
- Following any special diet(s) which may interfere with study outcomes (eg: Ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, calorie-deficit)
- Major change in physical activity and/or dietary habits in the last 3 months
- Use of oral antibiotics in the last 3 months
- Participation in other intervention studies, which may affect study outcomes as assessed by study team
- Staff of IHDP and SIFBI in A\*STAR
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Related Publications (4)
Camps SG, Kaur B, Lim J, Loo YT, Pang E, Ng T, Henry CJ. Improved Glycemic Control and Variability: Application of Healthy Ingredients in Asian Staples. Nutrients. 2021 Sep 3;13(9):3102. doi: 10.3390/nu13093102.
PMID: 34578981BACKGROUNDKaur B, Koh M, Ponnalagu S, Henry CJ. Postprandial blood glucose response: does the glycaemic index (GI) value matter even in the low GI range? Nutr Diabetes. 2020 May 1;10(1):15. doi: 10.1038/s41387-020-0118-5.
PMID: 32358482BACKGROUNDToh DWK, Fu AS, Mehta KA, Lam NYL, Haldar S, Henry CJ. Plant-Based Meat Analogs and Their Effects on Cardiometabolic Health: An 8-Week Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Plant-Based Meat Analogs With Their Corresponding Animal-Based Foods. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024 Jun;119(6):1405-1416. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.04.006. Epub 2024 Apr 8.
PMID: 38599522BACKGROUNDToh DWK, Ponnalagu S, Camps SG, Lim J, Koh MXN, Henry CJ. Higher adiposity predicts greater intra-individual inconsistencies in postprandial glycemic measurements-an analysis of three randomized controlled trials in Asian populations. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2024 Sep;78(9):788-795. doi: 10.1038/s41430-024-01457-1. Epub 2024 Jun 12.
PMID: 38866975BACKGROUND
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Johan G. Eriksson, MD
A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP)
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- TRIPLE
- Who Masked
- CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Executive Director
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
June 17, 2026
First Posted
June 23, 2026
Study Start (Estimated)
August 10, 2026
Primary Completion (Estimated)
April 30, 2029
Study Completion (Estimated)
April 30, 2029
Last Updated
June 23, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-06