Impacts of Fruit on the Gut Health and Human Health

An Investigation of the Impact of Fruit on the Gut Microbiota and Its Metabolites: Connections to Human Health

The objectives of this study are to investigate the effect of fruit consumption on the gut microbiota and their collective fecal and plasma metabolomes, vascular and cardiometabolic functions, cognition, and motor control.

The Investigators findings will provide data critical to the understanding of the effects of fruit intake on the gut microbiome and the capacity of the microbiota to biotransform nutrients contained within fruits as well as the subsequent impact on circulating status of those metabolites. Concurrently, health outcomes that may be linked to these changes including cognition, motor control, vascular function and cardiometabolic health risk markers will be assessed in healthy adults.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy men and women 30 to 70 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of:

  • stroke or myocardial infarction
  • gastrointestinal disorders
  • neurological disorders (epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke, etc)
  • known metabolic disorders (liver, renal or clinically diagnosed diabetes)
  • drug treatment for lipid reduction or hypertension,
  • psychiatric medication use