What's Hopping? Cricket Protein and Human Gut Microbiota
Public ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT03383341. Field values are reproduced from the official study page; the official ClinicalTrials.gov record remains the source of truth for eligibility, enrollment, and contact information.
Data is sourced from official ClinicalTrials.gov public API records. Always review the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for the latest information.
Official title
What's Hopping? Edible Cricket (Gryllodes Sigillatus) Consumption and Gut Microbiota in Healthy Adults, a Double-blind, Randomized Crossover Trial
Brief summary
Reproduced verbatim from the official ClinicalTrials.gov record. Not medical advice.
Edible insects are often considered a nutritious, protein-rich, environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional meat. They represent a new food for North American consumers. While the nutrient composition of several insects is characterized, all potential health impacts have not been evaluated. Crickets contain chitin and other fibers that may influence gut health. In this study, we evaluated the effects of consuming 25 grams/day whole cricket powder on gut microbiota composition, while assessing safety and tolerability. Twenty healthy adults participated in this six-week, double-blind, crossover dietary intervention. Participants were randomized into two treatment arms and consumed either cricket-containing or control breakfast foods for 14 days, followed by a 14-day washout period and assignment to the opposite arm. Blood and stool samples were collected at baseline and after each treatment period to assess liver function and microbiota changes. Results demonstrate that cricket consumption is tolerable and non-toxic at the treatment dose. Cricket powder supported growth of the probiotic bacteria, Bifidobacterium animalis, which increased more than 5.7-fold. Cricket consumption was also associated with reduced plasma TNF-a. These data suggest that eating crickets may improve gut health and reduce systemic inflammation; however, more research is needed to understand these effects and underlying mechanisms.
Study identification
- NCT ID
- NCT03383341
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Enrollment
- 20 participants
Conditions and interventions
Conditions
Interventions
- Cricket Protein Powder Dietary Supplement
- Placebo control Other
Dietary Supplement · Other
Eligibility (public fields only)
- Age range
- 18 Years to 65 Years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepts healthy volunteers
This page does not interpret eligibility. Detailed inclusion and exclusion criteria are on the official ClinicalTrials.gov record.
Study timeline
- Start date
- Jan 31, 2017
- Primary completion
- May 9, 2017
- Completion
- May 9, 2017
- Last update posted
- Apr 3, 2019
2017
United States locations
- U.S. sites
- 1
- U.S. states
- 1
- U.S. cities
- 1
| Facility | City | State | ZIP | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado State University | Fort Collins | Colorado | 80523-1571 | — |
Site contact phone numbers, emails, and investigator names are intentionally not displayed here. Open the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for site contact information.
About this trial record page
- What this page shows
- Public field values for ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT03383341, including study identification, conditions, interventions, eligibility (age, sex, healthy volunteer), timeline, and U.S. site list.
- What this page does not do
- No medical advice, eligibility judgments, treatment recommendations, study quality scoring, or AI-generated medical summaries. No site contact phone numbers, emails, or investigator names.
- Where the data comes from
- Sourced from the official ClinicalTrials.gov public API. The official record is the source of truth.
- Last refresh
- Last update posted Apr 3, 2019 · Synced Sep 1, 2026
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Open the official record
The complete protocol, eligibility criteria, and contact information for NCT03383341 live on ClinicalTrials.gov.