The BE GONE trial study protocol: a randomized crossover dietary intervention of dry beans targeting the gut microbiome of overweight and obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether increasing consumption of pre-cooked, canned dry beans could enhance gut microbiome composition and function to improve metabolic health and reduce cancer risk in overweight/obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer.
Results Summary
The study protocol describes a randomized crossover trial design to evaluate changes in host markers, fecal microbiome profiles, and metabolites, but specific results are not provided in the abstract. The intervention involved increasing dry bean intake to 1 cup per day.
Population
Overweight/obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer.
Effective Dosage
1 cup per day.
Duration
8 weeks (2-week ramp-up followed by 6-week maintenance).
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
increase in the consumption of pre-cooked, canned dry beans within the context of usual diet and lifestyle | decrease | metabolic health and cancer risk | overweight/obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer | - | can enhance the gut landscape to improve metabolic health and reduce cancer risk | #1 |
dry beans | increase | gut landscape | overweight/obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer | - | will test whether and how an increase in the consumption can enhance the gut landscape | #2 |
dry beans | change | host markers spanning lipid metabolism, inflammation, and obesity-related cancer risk | overweight/obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer | - | will characterize changes in host markers spanning lipid metabolism, inflammation, and obesity-related cancer risk | #3 |
dry beans | change | compositional and functional profiles of the fecal microbiome | overweight/obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer | - | will characterize changes in compositional and functional profiles of the fecal microbiome | #4 |
dry beans | change | host and microbial metabolites | overweight/obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer | - | will characterize changes in host and microbial metabolites | #5 |
dry beans | decrease | metabolic and inflammatory effects of adiposity that influence colorectal cancer risk, recurrence, and survival | high-risk patients | - | targeting the gut microbiome of high-risk patients to mitigate the metabolic and inflammatory effects of adiposity that influence colorectal cancer risk, recurrence, and survival | #6 |
BACKGROUND: Mouse and human studies support the promise of dry beans to improve metabolic health and to lower cancer risk. In overweight/obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer, the Beans to Enrich the Gut microbiome vs. Obesity's Negative Effects (BE GONE) trial will test whether and how an increase in the consumption of pre-cooked, canned dry beans within the context of usual diet and lifestyle can enhance the gut landscape to improve metabolic health and reduce cancer risk. METHODS/DESIGN: This randomized crossover trial is designed to characterize changes in (1) host markers spanning lipid metabolism, inflammation, and obesity-related cancer risk; (2) compositional and functional profiles of the fecal microbiome; and (3) host and microbial metabolites. With each subject serving as their own control, the trial will compare the participant's usual diet with (intervention) and without (control) dry beans. Canned, pre-cooked dry beans are provided to participants and the usual diet continually assessed and monitored. Following a 4-week run-in and equilibration period, each participant provides a total of 5 fasting blood and 6 stool samples over a total period of 16 weeks. The intervention consists of a 2-week ramp-up of dry bean intake to 1 cup/d, which is then continued for an additional 6 weeks. Intra- and inter-individual outcomes are assessed across each crossover period with consideration of the joint or modifying effects of the usual diet and baseline microbiome. DISCUSSION: The BE GONE trial is evaluating a scalable dietary prevention strategy targeting the gut microbiome of high-risk patients to mitigate the metabolic and inflammatory effects of adiposity that influence colorectal cancer risk, recurrence, and survival. The overarching scientific goal is to further elucidate interactions between diet, the gut microbiome, and host metabolism. Improved understanding of the diet-microbiota interplay and effective means to target these relationships will be key to the future of clinical and public health approaches to cancer and other major diet- and obesity-related diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This protocol is registered with the U.S. National Institutes of Health trial registry, ClinicalTrials.gov, under the identifier NCT02843425. First posted July 25, 2016; last verified January 25, 2019.