Intermediate Wheatgrass Products and Gut Health

NCT07773441 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: STUDY00022051
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 54
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will evaluate the effect of daily consumption of intermediate wheatgrass-based products on measures of gut health compared with whole wheat-based products in healthy adults with traditional western fiber intake. Participants will first complete screening, stool sample collection, and the Diet History Questionnaire III. Participants with dietary fiber intake greater than 12g/1000 calories per day will complete the study after baseline procedures. Participants with dietary fiber intake of 12g/1000 calories per day or less will enter a randomized crossover dietary intervention. During the intervention, participants will consume intermediate wheatgrass-based products and whole wheat-based products in randomized order. Each intervention period will last 2 weeks and will be separated by a 2-week washout period. The primary outcome is change in Gut Microbiome Wellness Index. Gastrointestinal symptom scores will also be assessed.

Conditions

Gut Health; Gastrointestinal Symptoms; Gut Microbiome; Dietary Fiber

Keywords

Intermediate wheatgrass; Whole wheat; Gut health; Gastrointestinal symptoms; Gut Microbiome Wellness Index (GMWI); Gut microbiome

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Gut Microbiome Wellness Index

  Change in Gut Microbiome Wellness Index will be assessed using stool sample-based microbiome analysis and compared after daily consumption of intermediate wheatgrass-based products versus whole wheat-based products.

  Baseline through 6 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Gastrointestinal Symptom Scores

  Baseline through 6 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Intermediate Wheatgrass Products First, Then Whole Wheat Products

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants randomized to this sequence will consume intermediate wheatgrass-based bread and puffed cereal daily for 2 weeks, followed by a 2-week washout period, then whole wheat-based bread and puffed cereal daily for 2 weeks.

Dietary Supplement: Intermediate Wheatgrass-Based Products; Dietary Supplement: Whole Wheat-Based Products

Whole Wheat Products First, Then Intermediate Wheatgrass Products

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants randomized to this sequence will consume whole wheat-based bread and puffed cereal daily for 2 weeks, followed by a 2-week washout period, then intermediate wheatgrass-based bread and puffed cereal daily for 2 weeks.

Dietary Supplement: Intermediate Wheatgrass-Based Products; Dietary Supplement: Whole Wheat-Based Products

Interventions

Intermediate Wheatgrass-Based Products DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Participants will consume two slices of bread made from whole intermediate wheatgrass flour and 1/2 cup of puffed intermediate wheatgrass cereal per day for 2 weeks.

Also known as: IWG-Based Products

Intermediate Wheatgrass Products First, Then Whole Wheat Products; Whole Wheat Products First, Then Intermediate Wheatgrass Products

Whole Wheat-Based Products DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Participants will consume two slices of bread made from whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup of puffed whole wheat cereal per day for 2 weeks.

Also known as: WW-Based Products

Intermediate Wheatgrass Products First, Then Whole Wheat Products; Whole Wheat Products First, Then Intermediate Wheatgrass Products

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Greater than 18 years of age
• Regular access to a smartphone
• Willingness to consume bread products daily in accordance with study procedures

You may not qualify if:

• Antibiotic use within 3 months
• Underlying chronic gastrointestinal disease, including irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and celiac disease
• History of malabsorptive bariatric surgery or colectomy
• Use of medications known to influence the gut microbiome
• In the opinion of the investigator, unable to complete study procedures
• Children
• Pregnant women
• Prisoners
• Adults lacking capacity to consent or adults with diminished or fluctuating capacity to consent
• Non-English speakers
• Individuals unable to read

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Minnesota: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Minnesota Food Science and Nutrition Building

Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55108, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Levi Teigen, PhD

  University of Minnesota

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Participants will be screened and enrolled as healthy individuals. After completing baseline stool collection and the Diet History Questionnaire III, participants with dietary fiber intake greater than 12g/1000 calories per day will complete participation. Participants with dietary fiber intake of 12g/1000 calories per day or less will proceed to the randomized crossover dietary intervention. These participants will complete both the intermediate wheatgrass-based product intervention and the whole wheat-based product intervention, separated by a 2-week washout period.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 14, 2026
• First Posted: August 19, 2026
• Study Start: September 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: August 31, 2026
• Study Completion: August 31, 2026
• Last Updated: September 15, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Locations

US (1)