Plant-Based Foods and (Poly)Phenol Supplementation in Gut Microbiota Modulation, Body Weight, and Cardiometabolic Risk

This single-blind, randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of increased dietary polyphenol intake-either through a healthy plant-based diet (PBD) or supplementation-on body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors in adults with overweight or obesity. A total of 99 participants (aged 25-45 years, BMI 25-35 kg/m²) with cardiovascular risk factors will be recruited from local health centers and randomly assigned (1:1:1) to one of three intervention groups for 12 weeks: (1) a healthy PBD rich in polyphenols, with supplemental apple, blueberries, hazelnuts, extra-virgin olive oil, and coffee provided at no cost to the participant (2) a healthy diet plus polyphenol supplementation (≈30g/day) from maqui , green tea, olive leaf, cranberry, and grape extracts, or (3) a control group receiving placebo and standard healthy diet recommendations. All groups will follow a caloric deficit. Dietary intake will be assessed using three 24-hour dietary recalls at baseline and 12 weeks, with polyphenol intake estimated via the Phenol-Explorer database. Data collection will include lifestyle questionnaires, anthropometric and bioimpedance measurements, blood pressure assessments, physical activity monitoring via accelerometers, and strength evaluations. Blood samples will be analyzed using a large-scale targeted metabolomics approach (UHPLC-MS/MS) to identify metabolic signatures, particularly those linked to gut microbiota. Faecal samples will be collected at baseline and visit 3. Findings will provide insights into how dietary polyphenols-either from whole foods or supplementation-affect obesity-related outcomes and cardiometabolic risk, potentially unveiling gut microbial biomarkers as future therapeutic targets. This study aims to contribute to strategies for obesity and cardiometabolic risk prevention and treatment.

NCT Number	NCT06911346
Lead Sponsor	Universidad Catolica de Temuco Collaborators: Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo
Conditions	Obesity and Overweight
Enrollment	99 participants
Start Date	2025-07-21
Primary Completion	2026-06-03 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-06-03 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-11-28