Recruiting

Beef ConsumptionInvestigating the Effects of Beef Consumption on Cognitive and Brain Health

Sponsor:

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Code:

NCT06690892

Conditions

Dietary Intervention

Dietary Proteins

Dietary Assessment

Cognitive Ability, General

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 19 - 24

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 5-oz packages

Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 1-oz packages

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if eating more beef will lead to better cognition and a healthier brain in younger adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does eating more beef lead to higher scores on cognitive tests and better quality of life?
Does eating more beef lead to better brain function?

Researchers will compare participants in the experimental group (participants who will eat 25 ounces of beef every week during the dietary intervention) to control participants (participants who will eat 5 ounces of beef every week during the dietary intervention).

Participants will:

Be instructed to prepare and consume ready-to-eat beef meals along with their regular diet and not eat any more beef other than what they are given
Visit the study facilities once every week to pick up ready-to-eat beef meals; and complete a brief survey every week to track their consumption of the provided beef meals, and a dietary survey every 4 weeks
Visit the study facilities before and after the 12-week of intervention period for researchers to study them

Conditions

Dietary Intervention

Dietary Proteins

Dietary Assessment

Cognitive Ability, General

Study ID

NCT06690892

Start date

Sep 22, 2025

Status verified date

May, 2026

Completion date

Sep, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 19 - 24

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and lifestyle considerations and availability for the duration of the study
Males and females; Age 19-24
Willingness to adhere to the ready-to-eat beef intervention regimen
Lives within 75 miles of Lincoln, NE
BMI between 18.5 and 39.9
Not pregnant or nursing
No history of cognitive or metabolic diseases indicated by diagnosis, including neurodegenerative disease, stroke, Type 1 and 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, kidney disease, and cancer
No history of eating or anxiety disorders
Willing to discontinue dietary supplement use throughout the duration of the study, if they are consuming supplement at the time of the registration
No known contraindication to MRI scans as determined by the MRI screening survey questions

Exclusion Criteria:

Current use of medications that may affect their responses to dietary intervention, such as amphetamines, antidepressants, anti-diabetic medications, laxatives, antibiotics, statins and diuretics.
Known intolerance or allergy to beef
Current use of nicotine products, including vaping
Previous use of nicotine products, including vaping, within the recent 6 months at the time of pre-screening

Study Design

Enrollment

240 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Experimental Group

The experimental group will participate in the 12-week beef dietary intervention study. Participants will be provided with 5 portions of ready-to-eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week. Each portion of beef provided to this group will weigh 5 ounces.

placebo comparator: Control Group

The control group will participate in the 12-week beef dietary intervention. Participants will be provided with 5 portions of ready-to-eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week. Each portion of beef provided to this group will weigh 1 ounce.

Interventions

Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 5-oz packages

The dietary intervention lasts 12 weeks for each individual. Participants in the experimental group will receive this intervention. Each participant will acquire 5 portions of ready-to eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week (1 portion of sirloin cap steak strips, 1 portion of shredded chuck roast, 1 portion of petite shoulder medallions, and 2 portions of ground beef crumbles); each portion of ready-to-eat beef in this intervention will weigh 5 ounces.

Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 1-oz packages

The dietary intervention lasts 12 weeks for each individual. Participants in the control group will receive this intervention. Each participant will acquire 5 portions of ready-to eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week (1 portion of sirloin cap steak strips, 1 portion of shredded chuck roast, 1 portion of petite shoulder medallions, and 2 portions of ground beef crumbles); each portion of ready-to-eat beef in this intervention will weigh 1 ounce.

Primary outcome measure

WAIS-V [ Time Frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks ]
NIH Toolbox (Dimensional Change Card Sort) [ Time Frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks ]
NIH Toolbox (Flanker) [ Time Frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks ]
NIH Toolbox (List Sorting Working Memory Test) [ Time Frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks ]
Cognitive Reflection Test [ Time Frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks ]
Short Form-36 Health Survey [ Time Frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks ]
Decision Outcome Inventory [ Time Frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks ]
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [ Time Frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks ]
Symptom Checklist 90-Revised [ Time Frame: Baseline and after 12 weeks ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Douglas Schultz, PhD

402-472-1843 dschultz14@unl.edu

Aron Barbey, PhD

402-472-0168 abarbey2@unl.edu

Locations

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Recruiting

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, 68588

Contacts

Douglas H Schultz, PhD

320-444-2948 dschultz14@unl.edu

Aron Barbey, PhD

402-472-1843 abarbey2@unl.edu

Principal Investigator:

Aron Barbey, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Last update posted

May 29, 2026

Last verified

May, 2026

Keywords

beef consumption
beef dietary intervention
brain health
cognitive 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 Nebraska Lincoln on 2026-05-29.