Eating a lot of dairy versus little and its effects on the brain
Compares high-dairy and low-dairy eating on brain function in older adults with overweight.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: High-Dairy Food Patterns and Gut-Brain Axis
Key facts
- Where
- Maastricht, NetherlandsSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 40 and 75 years old?
Source: NCT07355309, who can take part
Where in Netherlands
- Maastricht UniversityMaastricht, NetherlandsNo longer taking part
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Maastricht University Medical Center
- Trial code
- NCT07355309
- Record updated
- 21 January 2026
- Original description
Disturbances in brain insulin sensitivity are associated not only with obesity and type 2 diabetes, but also with brain aging and cognitive decline. Longitudinal studies suggest that dietary patterns, particularly those high in dairy intake, may impact brain function via the gut-brain axis. Indeed, dairy foods are known to modulate gut microbiota and may, through this pathway, not only improve brain insulin sensitivity and cognitive performance, but also mental health and appetite regulation. However, underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate, in older adults with overweight or obesity, the effects of a high-dairy food pattern (4-5 daily servings of (butter)milk, cheese, yogurt, or cottage cheese) compared to a low-dairy food pattern (≤1 serving daily) on (regional) brain vascular function and insulin sensitivity. These outcomes will be quantified using the non-invasive MRI perfusion technique Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL), which assesses cerebral blood flow (CBF) in response to intranasal insulin, a validated physiological marker of brain insulin sensitivity. Secondary objectives include changes in cognitive performance (via the CANTAB neuropsychological test battery), gut microbiota composition (via shotgun metagenomic analysis of fecal samples), and appetite-related brain reward activity (via BOLD-fMRI with food cues). Exploratory analyses include conventional cardiometabolic risk markers (blood pressure, lipid and glucose metabolism), and perceivable (consumer) benefits.Read full original descriptionShow less
Longer-term Effects of High-dairy Food Patterns on the Gut-brain Axis in Adults With Overweight or Obesity
Disturbances in brain insulin sensitivity are associated not only with obesity and type 2 diabetes, but also with brain aging and cognitive decline. Longitudinal studies suggest that dietary patterns, particularly those high in dairy intake, may impact brain function via the gut-brain axis. Indeed, dairy foods are known to modulate gut microbiota and may, through this pathway, not only improve brain insulin sensitivity and cognitive performance, but also mental health and appetite regulation. However, underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate, in older adults with overweight or obesity, the effects of a high-dairy food pattern (4-5 daily servings of (butter)milk, cheese, yogurt, or cottage cheese) compared to a low-dairy food pattern (≤1 serving daily) on (regional) brain vascular function and insulin sensitivity. These outcomes will be quantified using the non-invasive MRI perfusion technique Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL), which assesses cerebral blood flow (CBF) in response to intranasal insulin, a validated physiological marker of brain insulin sensitivity. Secondary objectives include changes in cognitive performance (via the CANTAB neuropsychological test battery), gut microbiota composition (via shotgun metagenomic analysis of fecal samples), and appetite-related brain reward activity (via BOLD-fMRI with food cues). Exploratory analyses include conventional cardiometabolic risk markers (blood pressure, lipid and glucose metabolism), and perceivable (consumer) benefits.
Inclusion: Men and postmenopausal women (≥ 2 years since last menstruation); Aged between 40-75 years; BMI between 25-35 kg/m2 (overweight or obese); Low-to-moderate habitual dairy consumption (≤ 3 servings/day); Fasting serum total cholesterol < 8.0 mmol/L; Fasting serum triacylglycerol < 4.5 mmol/L; Fasting plasma glucose < 7.0 mmol/L; Systolic blood pressure < 160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg; Stable body weight (weight gain or loss < 3 kg in the past three months).
Exclusion: Abuse of drugs; Use of antibiotics within the previous month; Use of other biomedical investigational products within the previous month; Contra-indications for MRI imaging (e.g. pacemaker, metal implants, claustrophobia); Willing to donate blood starting from 8 weeks before the study begins, throughout the study, and for 4 weeks after its inclusion; Milk protein allergy or lactose intolerance; Severe medical conditions including type 2 diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, kidney failure, COPD, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune diseases, or rheumatoid arthritis; History of cardiovascular events (e.g., heart attack, stroke) or active cardiovascular disease; Use of medications, food products or dietary supplements affecting glucose, lipid, or blood pressure regulation, gut microbiota or mental or neurological function, judged by the principal investigator; Left-handedness; Current smoker, or smoking cessation < 12 months; Familial hypercholesterolemia; Alcoholic intake >3 standard drinks/day; Participation in another clinical trial within the past month; Difficult to venipuncture as evidenced during the screening visit.