NCT05927038

Coffee Consumption, the Gut Microbiome, and the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 31 (actual)
• Sponsor: University College Cork · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 30 Years – 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of coffee to act as a prebiotic to alter gut microbiota and improve mood, memory and cognitive performance.

Detailed description

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of coffee to act as a prebiotic to alter gut microbiota and improve mood, memory and cognitive performance. Additional gut-brain axis pathways-related parameters such as inflammation, short chain fatty acids and other metabolites production and physiological stress levels will be explored. Moreover, differences between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption will be investigated to determine whether observed effects are attributed to caffeine or other coffee components. To determine the mechanism of action underlying the beneficial effects of coffee, coffee drinkers abstained from coffee and caffeine for a 2-week washout period following the baseline visit. Coffee drinkers further underwent an intervention in which they consumed either 4 sachets (1.8 grams each) of instant caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee per day for 3 weeks of using a double-blind, randomised, parallel design. Reaction time, socioemotional processing, visual and episodic memory, learning, and an attentional task were administered to measure cognitive performance. Self-report questionnaires on mood, behavior and lifestyle were administered and response to an acute stressor was assessed. Biological samples of saliva, urine, blood, and stool were collected to investigate microbiome-gut-brain-axis signaling.

Conditions

• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Caffeinated coffee	After 2 weeks of coffee abstinence (washout), participants who were coffee drinkers were randomly allocated to receive either 4 sachets (1.8g each) of caffeinated instant coffee per day for 3 weeks. Participants were blinded to coffee contents.
OTHER	Decaffeinated coffee	After 2 weeks of coffee abstinence (washout), participants who were coffee drinkers were randomly allocated to receive either 4 sachets (1.8g each) of decaffeinated instant coffee per day for 3 weeks. Participants were blinded to coffee contents.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-09-21
• Primary completion: 2023-01-18
• Completion: 2023-01-18
• First posted: 2023-07-03
• Last updated: 2023-07-03

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Ireland