Edible Insects: Good for the Gut and the Globe
Completed · Not applicable · Has a placebo group
Conditions studied: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
In brief
Edible insects have been eaten by people throughout human history and are consumed today across the globe. Insects are also currently being incorporated into a number of food products in the United States, Canada, and Europe due to their unique nutritional and sustainability attributes. Insects have been touted as an environmental alternative to conventional meat products, but they are unique in containing dietary fiber. The investigators have recently demonstrated in a population of healthy individuals that two weeks of consuming 25 g/day cricket powder may be associated with prebiotic effects by stimulating the growth of Bifidobacterium in the gut. In addition, participants had reduced inflammatory markers in the blood after the cricket intervention. Crickets and other edible insects contain a unique form of fiber called chitin. They would like to explore whether chitin may be responsible for these previously observed effects and particularly if chitin consumption can mitigate symptoms and inflammation associated with the gastrointestinal disorder Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). This project aims to examine the impact of consuming 4 grams of cricket-derived chitin daily for 30 days on the gut microbiota, intestinal and systemic markers of inflammation, and symptom severity and quality of life in individuals with IBS.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT06397924
- Run by
- Colorado State University
- People needed
- 18
- Starts
- 2023-07-06
- Expected to finish
- 2024-08-31
- Last updated by the study team
- 2025-07-24
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Participants must be 18 years of age or older with a medical diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and/or recurrent abdominal pain greater than 1 time per week persistent for at least 3 months while also meeting 2 of the 3 criteria for IBS diagnosis according to the Rome IV assessment. Both adult males and females of any race or ethnicity will be included in this study. (Rome IV Diagnostic Criteria for IBS link: www.mdcalcl.com/rome-iv-diagnostic-criteria-irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs)
You may not qualify if…
- pregnant and lactating women,
- individuals taking antibiotics or who have recently taken antibiotics (within 60 days of the study start date),
- individuals with any self-reported shellfish, milk, or soy allergies
- individuals with a current diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal cancers, other cancers, liver or kidney disease,
- individuals reporting current medication and dietary supplement use, along with the presence of other metabolic diseases, will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and may result in study exclusion
- individuals who feel that they will not be able to adhere to study requirements
Where it is running
- Colorado State University — Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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