NCT06935435

Effects of Distinct Nebraska-Dry Bean Market Classes on Gut Microbiota

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 12 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Nebraska Lincoln · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 19 Years – 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Beans are well known for their health benefits. Many of these benefits relate to gut health, as many of the nutrients found in beans support beneficial microbes that live in the gut. However, beans have a lot of genetic diversity. This diversity has led to different bean market classes with different colors, sizes, and nutrient profiles. Differences between bean market classes may trigger different effects on gut microbes and health, but this is poorly understood. The goal of the pilot clinical trial is to make comparisons (1) between two different bean market classes (pink beans, great northern beans) and (2) between a bean mixture (pinto, kidney, black, pink, and great northern beans) and individual bean market classes. The study will assess whether bean market classes differ in their effects on gut microbes, blood pressure, metabolism, and gut symptoms in adults with and without obesity.

Detailed description

Bean consumption delivers diverse dietary fibers (resistant starches, non-starch polysaccharides), proteins, polyphenols, and other compounds to the colon, where they serve as substrates for the microbial community (microbiota) that colonizes the gut of humans. However, dry beans exhibit high genetic diversity, corresponding with diverse pigments and nutrients across market classes. It remains poorly understood whether targeted effects on the gut microbiota and health measures are possible with distinct dry bean market classes. The overarching study objective is to perform a randomized, crossover pilot intervention trial in adults to determine the effects of consuming distinct dry bean market classes in isolation or combination on the gut microbiota and health. The study will compare the dose-dependent effects of pink beans, great northern beans, and a five-bean mixture (pinto, kidney, black, pink, and great northern beans) on the gut microbiota, health-relevant metabolites, blood pressure, and immunometabolic markers in adults with and without extra body weight. The pilot study will employ a 3-phase, cross-over design with 2-week intervention periods separated by 2-week washout periods.

Conditions

• Dietary Intervention
• Gut Microbiota

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Pink Beans	Pink beans consumed for 2 weeks, at an amount of ½ cup/day for week 1 and 1 ½ cups/day for week 2.
OTHER	Great Northern Beans	Great northern beans consumed for 2 weeks, at an amount of ½ cup/day for week 1 and 1 ½ cups/day for week 2.
OTHER	Five-Bean Mixture	Five-bean mixture made of pinto, kidney, black, pink, and great northern beans consumed for 2 weeks, at an amount of ½ cup/day for week 1 and 1 ½ cups/day for week 2.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-05-08
• Primary completion: 2026-01-28
• Completion: 2027-04-30
• First posted: 2025-04-20
• Last updated: 2026-02-04

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States