Smoothie Program for Achieving and Resilient Kids

The proposed study will examine whether eating yogurt every day can improve brain and gut health in children. Prior research suggests that yogurt may support cognitive functions like self-control, but more studies are needed to confirm this. The study will follow 60 children from Central Pennsylvania, ages 8 to 10, who will be randomly assigned to drink either fruit juice (control group) or yogurt smoothies once or twice a day for four weeks. Researchers will compare how different amounts of yogurt affect children's thinking skills (like memory and focus), brain activity, and gut bacteria. These changes will be measured through brain scans, computer-based thinking tasks, surveys, and stool samples. The study will also collect information about children's overall diet. The goal is to find out if yogurt can support healthy brain and gut development and to determine the right amount to include in a child's daily diet. Results will help guide future research on how nutrition supports children's health.

NCT Number	NCT07195474
Lead Sponsor	Penn State University Collaborators: National Dairy Council
Conditions	Executive Functions (EF), Microbiome, Dietary Quality
Enrollment	60 participants
Start Date	2026-05
Primary Completion	2027-09 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-09 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-05-20