Recruiting

Goji vs. Fiber

Sponsor:

UCLA

Code:

NCT06237127

Conditions

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 65 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Goji berry

Fiber

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this project is to conduct a clinical trial in 60 participants ranging from age 65-95 who are at risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The study will evaluate the effects of 14g of goji berry intake or an equivalent amount and type of fiber, five days a week for six months, on visual health, gut microbiome profiles, skin carotenoid measures, and lipoprotein profiles.

Conditions

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Study ID

NCT06237127

Start date

Apr 29, 2024

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Dec 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun 30, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 65 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Family history of AMD
  • Hyperlipidemia or managed diabetes
  • 65 - 95 years of age

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Dislike of, or allergy to, goji berries or any of the ingredients in the fiber-rich wafers and gummies (wheat, corn, oats, soy, natural orange flavor, xylitol, annatto, pectin, or other food ingredients)
  • Consumption of > 2 alcoholic drinks per day
  • Indications of substance or alcohol abuse
  • Current or planned use of a blood thinner (e.g., Coumadin, Warfarin) at any time during study
  • Use of multi-vitamin or any other supplements that contain lutein and/or zeaxanthin (if willing to stop the supplement, subject can be enrolled 6 months from stop date)
  • Taking any new medications started within the past 6 months, or changes in medication regimen planned in the next 6 months (stable use greater than 6 months is not exclusionary)
  • Any planned international travel during the study
  • Consuming >3 servings/day of a combination of spinach, kale, lettuce, orange bell peppers, corn, parsley, squash, broccoli, pumpkin, edamame
  • Regularly consuming >3 eggs/day
  • Currently participating in any other interventional research study
  • Diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, other gastrointestinal disorder, undergoing cancer therapy or immunocompromised, or diagnosis of another condition where lutein, zeaxanthin and/or fiber supplementation would be contraindicated or would interfere with ability to participate in the study
  • Any physical characteristic or condition that precludes ability to perform study procedures
  • Medical or psychiatric condition that, in the opinion of the Investigator, would compromise study findings or prevent the participant from completing the study

Study Design

Enrollment

60 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Supportive Care

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Goji berry

For the goji berry arm, participants will consume goji berries.

active comparator: Fiber

For the fiber arm, participants will consume fiber supplements that closely matches the fiber type and amount found in the portion of goji berries.

Interventions

Goji berry

Participants will be instructed to consume 14 grams of goji berries 5 days a week for 6 months

Fiber

Participants will be instructed to consume the fiber supplements 5 days a week for 6 months

Primary outcome measure

  • Macular pigment optical volume (MPOV) [ Time Frame: Day 0 and Day 180 ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Denise Macias, CCRP

(916) 734-6303dcmacias@ucdavis.edu

Locations

UC Davis Eye Center, Tschannen Eye Institute

Recruiting

Sacramento, California, United States, 95817

Contacts

Denise C Macias

916-734-6303dcmacias@ucdavis.edu

Susan M Garcia

916-734-4546smgarcia@ucdavis.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of California, Davis

Last update posted

Jul 17, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Keywords

  • Goji Berry
  • Age-Related Macular Degeneration
  • Lutein
  • Zeaxanthin
  • Fiber
  • Carotenoids
  • Gut Microbiome
  • HDL
  • Cholesterol Efflux Capacity
  • Eye Health

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 2026-07-17.