Recruiting

Beef Intake

Sponsor:

UCLA

Code:

NCT05236374

Conditions

Zinc Deficiency

Inflammation

Metabolic Diseases

Vascular Diseases

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 55 - 70

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Beef protein

Study Details

Brief summary:

The objective of the current study is to test the overarching hypothesis that the beef nutritive matrix is uniquely suited to direct dietary zinc to cellular compartments for improved metabolic function, leading to a greater effect on health outcomes. Specifically, whether beef, as a component of a healthy meal, will promote the absorption of zinc into cells, where the zinc will have greater effects on zinc-dependent metabolic processes supporting cardiovascular health. To maximize the observability of these beef-related effects, individuals who are 55- to 70-year-old who generally have a higher risk of zinc deficiency and cardiovascular disease will be enrolled.

Conditions

Zinc Deficiency

Inflammation

Metabolic Diseases

Vascular Diseases

Study ID

NCT05236374

Start date

Oct 1, 2022

Status verified date

Feb, 2026

Completion date

Dec 31, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 31, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 55 - 70

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male or postmenopausal female 55-70 years of age
  • Women: lack of menses for at least two years.
  • Subject is willing and able to comply with the study protocols.
  • Subject is willing to participate in all study procedures
  • Self-reported stable dose of prescribed medications for a minimum of 6 months
  • BMI 18.5 - 29.9 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Self-reported use of daily anticoagulation agents including aspirin, NSAIDs
  • Prescribed metaformin, statins or medications known to interfere with zinc, protein, or lipid metabolism
  • Vegan, Vegetarians, food faddists or those consuming a non-traditional diet (e.g. Adkins, Keto, Paleo, etc.)
  • Fruit consumption ≥ 3 cups/day
  • Regular consumption of strawberries (2-3 servings/week)
  • Vegetable consumption ≥ 4 cups/day
  • Coffee/tea ≥ 3 cups/day
  • Dark chocolate ≥ 3 oz/day
  • Alcohol intake greater than 2 drinks in a day for men, or 1 drink in a day for women.
  • Self-reported restriction of physical activity due to a chronic health condition
  • Self-reported chronic/routine high intensity exercise
  • Self-reported diabetes
  • Blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mm Hg
  • Self-reported renal or liver disease
  • Self-reported heart disease, which includes cardiovascular events and stroke
  • Peripheral artery disease Raynaud's syndrome or disease
  • Inability to properly place or wear the PAT probes or abnormal measurements on pre-screening PAT
  • Self-reported cancer within past 5 years
  • Self-reported malabsorption
  • Unwillingness to stop any supplement use six weeks prior to study initiation, including multivitamin/mineral, powders, herbal, plant or botanical, pro- and prebiotics, and oil supplements.
  • Smoking, vaping, cannabis use
  • Current enrollee in a clinical research study.

Study Design

Enrollment

20 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Prevention

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Beef Protein

A beef stew, providing 8.8 mg zinc, 37.9 mg protein (approximately 500 kcal/d energy);

active comparator: Animal Protein

A control plant protein stew, providing 8.8 mg zinc, 37.9 mg protein (approximately 500 kcal/d energy);

Interventions

Beef protein

Animal protein source

Primary outcome measure

  • microvascular function [ Time Frame: 4 weeks ]
  • intracellular zinc status [ Time Frame: 4 weeks ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Roberta R Holt, PhD

15304005952rrholt@ucdavis.edu

Andrew Hall, PhD

aghall@ucdavis.edu

Locations

University of California, Davis; Department of Nutrition

Recruiting

Davis, California, United States, 95616

Contacts

Roberta Holt, PhD

530-752-4950rrholt@ucdavis.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of California, Davis

Last update posted

Feb 9, 2026

Last verified

Feb, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of California, Davis on 2026-02-09.