Recruiting

Egg White vs. Whole Egg

Sponsor:

University of Connecticut

Code:

NCT07844616

Conditions

Obesity (BMI Equal to or >30)

Immune Function

HDL

Gut Microbiome

Healthy Adult Participants

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 50

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Egg whites

Whole eggs

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this intervention study is to investigate the effects of daily egg intake on markers of gut health, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), metabolic, and immune cell profiles in adults with body mass indexes (BMI) in normal and obesity ranges. This study further aims to determine whether egg effects are associated with baseline gut microbiome profiles, and whether egg effects are different between males and females and by BMI status. The study will address the following objectives:

Objective 1: Evaluate the effects of daily egg white vs. whole egg intake on gut health, microbiome, and metabolome profiles.

Objective 2: Evaluate the effects of daily egg white vs. whole egg intake on HDL composition and function.

Objective 3: Evaluate the effects of daily egg white vs. whole egg intake on immune profiles and function in culture (ex vivo).

Participants will be asked to consume egg whites and whole eggs on a daily basis for 4-weeks each, and avoid eating eggs for a total of 8 weeks at different points in the study. Participants will be asked to complete surveys about dietary intake and physical activity, as well as provide blood and stool samples throughout the course of the study.

Conditions

Obesity (BMI Equal to or >30)

Immune Function

HDL

Gut Microbiome

Healthy Adult Participants

Study ID

NCT07844616

Start date

Sep, 2026

Status verified date

Sep, 2026

Completion date

Dec 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 31, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 50

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18-50 years old (at time of screening)
  • Premenopausal status for women
  • Body mass index (BMI) 18.5 to < 25 kg/m2; or ³ 30 kg/m2 and >30% and >40% body fat for men and women, respectively
  • Willing to consume whole eggs and egg whites provided during the study on a daily basis, and refrain from other eggs or egg-based foods and beverages during the study
  • Do not fit any exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • <18 years old and ≥ 51 years old
  • BMI <18.5, 25-29.9, or body weight < 110 pounds
  • Experienced >10% weight change in the past 4 weeks
  • Elevated fasting glucose levels (fasting glucose higher than 126 mg/dL) and triglycerides greater than 500 mg/dL, or total cholesterol < 120 mg/dL and HDL- cholesterol < 15 mg/dL
  • Self-reported and/or physician-diagnosed history of severe constipation, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, stroke, renal or liver disease, cancer, eating disorders, certain severe and/or relapsing/remitting autoimmune, inflammatory, intestinal or metabolic diseases, chronic infections, scleroderma, blood clotting disorders, intravenous drug use, or current pregnancy or lactation, postmenopausal
  • Allergy to eggs
  • Implanted medical device (e.g., pacemaker) or other health condition that would prevent measurement of body composition by bioelectrical impedence
  • Currently taking lipid-lowering medications (e.g., statins, fibrates), glucose-regulating medications, anti-inflammatory medications (e.g., NSAIDs, corticosteroids), or medications that primarily affect blood clotting (e.g., warfarin), long-term antibiotics or probiotics in the last 3 months or during the intervention
  • Active smoker

Study Design

Enrollment

78 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

active comparator: Egg whites

experimental: Whole eggs

Interventions

Egg whites

3 large egg equivalent of liquid egg whites per day for 4 weeks

Whole eggs

3 large whole eggs per day for 4 weeks

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in serum concentration of large HDL particles between diet periods [ Time Frame: 4 weeks ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Catherine J Andersen, PhD, RDN

860-486-1704catherine.andersen@uconn.edu

Locations

University of Connecticut

Recruiting

Storrs, Connecticut, United States, 06269

Contacts

Catherine J. Andersen, PhD, RDN

860-486-1704catherine.andersen@uconn.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of Connecticut

Last update posted

Sep 28, 2026

Last verified

Sep, 2026

Keywords

  • Eggs
  • HDL
  • Obesity
  • Diet intervention
  • Nutrition
  • Gut microbioome
  • Immune function

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-29. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Connecticut on 2026-09-28. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.