NCT07231146

Interaction Between Dairy and Gut Hormone Response on Cognitive Performance in Children.

Interaction Between Milk and Yogurt and Gastrointestinal Hormone Response on Cognitive Performance in School-Aged Children

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 48 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Toronto Metropolitan University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 9 Years – 14 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate the short-term effects of milk and yogurt of varying fat and protein content on cognitive performance in healthy children aged 9 - 14 years; and to provide insight into mechanisms by which dairy consumption may affect cognitive performance through gastrointestinal (GI) hormone responses. The investigators hypothesize that the consumption of dairy products, specifically their protein and fat components, will improve cognitive performance via its interaction with the gut-brain axis in children. Furthermore, the investigators hypothesize that all milk and yogurt products will enhance cognitive performance over 120- mins compared to snack skipping through its interaction with GI hormones, with a greater effect in higher fat containing milk and yogurt products.

Detailed description

A randomized within-subject repeated measures experiment will be used to study the effect of milk and yogurt of varying fat content on cognitive performance and its interaction with GI hormones in children (9-14 years). Participants will consume milk \[Experiment A\] and yogurt \[Experiment B\] test treatments, followed by measures of cognitive performance, blood glucose and GI hormone biomarkers over 120-min. In Experiment A and B, participants will consume, in a random order on separate mornings, one of four test treatments: (1) Full-fat, (2) Low-Fat, (3) No-fat, and (4) Snack-skipping test treatments. Cognitive domains (learning and memory, spatial working memory, attention, processing speed, and executive function), gastrointestinal hormone response, and subjective emotions will be assessed at baseline (0-min), and 30-, 60-, and 120-min following treatment consumption.

Conditions

• Children
• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Fat-Free Milk	Fat-free milk (500 mL, skim, 0%, Lactantia PurFiltre) will provide 180 kcal, 0.4 g fat, 26 g carbohydrate, and 18 g protein. Treatments matched for calories (180 kcal).
OTHER	Low-Fat Milk	Low-free milk (346 mL, 2%, Lactantia PurFiltre) will provide 180 kcal, 6.9 g fat, 16.6 g carbohydrate, and 12.5 g protein. Treatments matched for calories (180 kcal).
OTHER	Full-fat Milk	Full-free milk (281 mL, 3.25%, Lactantia PurFiltre) will provide 180 kcal, 9.0 g fat, 13.5 g carbohydrate, and 10.1 g protein. Treatments matched for calories (180 kcal).
OTHER	Snack Skipping	Snack skipping (no caloric contribution).
OTHER	Fat-Free Yogurt	Fat-free Yogurt (242.3 g, Oikos High Protein Vanilla; 0% MF) will provide 180 kcal, 0 g fat, 20.8 g carbohydrate, and 23.5 g protein. Treatments matched for calories (180 kcal).
OTHER	Low-Fat Yogurt	Low-fat Yogurt (210.0 g, Oikos Original 2% MF) will provide 180 kcal, 3.6 g fat, 21.6 g carbohydrate, and 15.6 g protein. Treatments matched for calories (180 kcal).
OTHER	Full-Fat Yogurt	Full-fat Yogurt (185.3 g, Oikos Extra Creamy Vanilla 9% MF) will provide 180 kcal, 15.9 g fat, 21.2 g carbohydrate, and 6.4 g protein. Treatments matched for calories (180 kcal).

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-11-15
• Primary completion: 2027-10-01
• Completion: 2027-10-01
• First posted: 2025-11-17
• Last updated: 2025-12-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada