Medical Information Only. Always consult your healthcare provider before enrolling in any clinical trial.
The Effect of Processing on Food Reward
NCT06017986 · View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Study Summary
The minimally processed diets of our ancestors have been rapidly replaced by UPFs driving poor diet to become the leading risk factor for preventable death globally. Hence, it is essential to understand what properties of UPF are driving their overconsumption to reduce diet-related mortality. To address this gap in knowledge this proposal will test: * If UPFs have a greater post meal metabolic response when compared to MPFs an essential signal for food reward * Through the use of an auction task paradigm if UPFs overvalued and if this value is differentially encoded in the brain This study is a fully cross-over design in that each participant receives all conditions and therefore serves as their own control. All orders of foods will be counterbalanced. Although participants cannot be blinded to the conditions as they must be aware of the foods they are eating, they will not be made aware that the key manipulation is food processing. On different days participants will come to the lab and consume a meal containing either minimally or ultra-processed foods as determined by the widely used NOVA (not an acronym) scale. These conditions will be consumed in a whole room metabolic chamber allowing for simultaneous measurement of multiple metabolic responses (glucose, insulin, and metabolic rate). These measures will be collected for 45 min before consumption of the meal (baseline) and for 3 hours after consumption (post-prandial). All participants will also undergo a Becker-Degroot-Marschak auction paradigm that consists of foods that are either minimally or Ultra-processed in the MRI scanner. Food value will be measure in participants' willingness to pay for each food and Neural responses will be measured during presentation of the food cues.
Conditions Studied
Interventions
- OTHER Ultra-processed food - Picture Set Meal
- OTHER Ultra-processed food - Additives Meal
- OTHER Ultra-processed food - Ingredients Meal
- OTHER Minimally Processed Food - Picture Set Meal
- OTHER Minimally Processed Food - Additives Meal
Study Locations (1)
Virginia
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC — Roanoke
Trial Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Target | 74 participants |
| Start Date | 2023-07-01 |
| Est. Completion | 2026-07-01 |
| Phase | NA |
Interested in This Trial?
Always speak with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.
Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗What the Registry Record Tells You About NCT06017986
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry entry for NCT06017986 describes a study currently listed as recruiting. It is categorized as NA, which is the standard way researchers label where a study sits along the investigational pathway from early safety work through later efficacy and post-marketing evaluation. The registered enrollment target is 74 participants, a figure that helps gauge the scale of data the investigators plan to collect. The listed sponsor is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, which has 93 total studies on file at ClinicalTrials.gov, and sponsors are the parties responsible for study design, oversight, and regulatory filings.
The record links to 1 condition, with Metabolic Diseases appearing as the primary indexed condition, and to 5 interventions — of which Ultra-processed food - Picture Set Meal is the first listed. Interventions can include drugs, devices, procedures, behavioral programs, or observational arms, and each is tracked as a separate registry field so that downstream queries can filter accurately. When a trial lists multiple interventions, it usually reflects a multi-arm design or a comparison protocol rather than a single treatment being tested in isolation. The brief summary published in the registry is the clearest source of protocol intent and should be read before drawing conclusions from any sidebar tags.
Geographic footprint matters for practical reasons: NCT06017986 reports 1 study location spanning 1 distinct geographic area — top geographies include Virginia. A larger site network tends to correlate with broader recruitment capacity, but it does not imply anything about study quality, and site-level enrollment status can diverge from the overall registry status shown above. Every data point on this page comes from the public ClinicalTrials.gov dataset and is reproduced here for reference only; it is not a medical recommendation, an endorsement of the sponsor, or an invitation to enroll. Verify current status, eligibility criteria, and contact details directly at ClinicalTrials.gov, and discuss any participation decision with your own healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical trial NCT06017986 about?
NCT06017986 is a clinical study titled "The Effect of Processing on Food Reward". The minimally processed diets of our ancestors have been rapidly replaced by UPFs driving poor diet to become the leading risk factor for preventable death globally. Hence, it is essential to understand what properties of UPF are driving their overconsumption to reduce diet-related mortality. To add...
What is the current status of trial NCT06017986?
This trial is currently recruiting. It is a NA study. The enrollment target is 74 participants. The study started on 2023-07-01. Estimated completion is 2026-07-01.
What conditions does trial NCT06017986 study?
This clinical trial studies the following conditions: Metabolic Diseases. These conditions were identified from the trial registry and reflect the primary focus areas of the research.
What interventions are being tested in trial NCT06017986?
The interventions under investigation include: Ultra-processed food - Picture Set Meal (OTHER), Ultra-processed food - Additives Meal (OTHER), Ultra-processed food - Ingredients Meal (OTHER), Minimally Processed Food - Picture Set Meal (OTHER), Minimally Processed Food - Additives Meal (OTHER). Each intervention is being evaluated for safety and efficacy as part of this clinical study.
Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT06017986?
This trial is sponsored by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, which has 93 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. The sponsor is responsible for the study's design, funding, and regulatory compliance.
Where is trial NCT06017986 being conducted?
This trial has 1 study location across Virginia. Contact the study sites directly through ClinicalTrials.gov for enrollment availability.
Learn More About Clinical Trials
How Clinical Trials Work
Understand phases 1-4, trial design, randomization, and the informed consent process.
Patient Rights in Clinical Trials
Your rights as a participant: consent, withdrawal, privacy, and who to contact.
Finding the Right Clinical Trial
A practical guide to searching trials, understanding eligibility, and evaluating options.
All Guides
Browse our complete library of clinical trial educational resources.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.