ClinicalTrials.gg
Status unknownNCT05862532SRTTUpdated May 17, 2023

Gut Microbiome and Blood Markers After Habitual Herbal Tea Consumption

An Early Phase 1 interventional study of TeTrimTeas welsh Herbal tea with rhubarb root and TeTrimTeas welsh Herbal tea with senna in Obesity and Well-being, sponsored by Aberystwyth University. Status unknown at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-05-17.

Sponsored by Aberystwyth University · Early Phase 1, Interventional, and Supportive care

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Apr 2023), so the status shown — last known as Active, not recruiting — may be out of date.

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 5 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Nov 2022, registered Apr 2023).
Phase
Early Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
55
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

TeTrimTeas intends is to establish a long-term cooperative with local growers and producers who will become partners in the business, with profit share to local growers and producers. The overall aim of the company is to produce quality, science-based botanical/herbal teas to improve health and wellbeing, growing as many of the ingredients locally and organically, to reduce food-to-fork miles within the decarbonisation and sustainability agendas in Wales.

TeTrimTeas have created herbal green tea blends, improving on existing Chinese formulation, and would like to test it as 'health tea'. The recruited cohort will be randomised into one of three intervention teas (green tea control, senna herbal mix and rhubarb root herbal mix). They would like to explore if consumption of the teas for 21 days has an impact on digestion and potentially help control weight gain.

Aberystwyth University will use high resolution metabolomics to investigate the chemical composition of capillary blood samples, in particular the short chain fatty acids. They will also assess lipid composition in capillary bloods and the microbiome of stools. Diet data, stool consistency and anthropometric measurements will be collected pre and post intervention. Results will advance product development and data would be used in grant applications into the health benefits of the herbal teas.

Read the detailed description

TeTrimTeas has created herbal green tea blends, improving on existing Chinese formulation, and would like to test it as 'health tea'. The recruited cohort will be randomised into one of three intervention teas (green tea control, senna herbal mix and rhubarb root herbal mix). This will be double blinded so neither the participant nor the researcher will know what group they have been allocated into. Information can be disclosed at the end of the study. Participants will come to WARU or Trimsaran Community Health Centre for induction and study visits.

The experimental sequence

'Diet-monitoring' period (two days before the study)

Prior to the experimental session it is important that all participants undergo a period where foods are recorded. This will help the researchers interpret any results after consumption of the test/control food. The researchers would ask them to refrain from taking any over-the-counter medication (such as ibuprofen, paracetamol, aspirin, cough/ cold remedies) or herbal supplements, and to let us know if they find that it is necessary to take any such medication during the trial.

Experimental session- 21 days

Morning: Participants will come to WARU or Trimsaran Community Health Centre for their pre-organised timeslot to allow researchers to collect a fasted capillary (fingerpick) blood samples and stool sample. They may consume their breakfast after their visit. They will also collect their tea bags. Researchers will also take participants weight and height and collect diet data (PDQS) and stool scores (Bristol Stool scale).

Over 21 days: the researchers would ask the participants to consume a cup of tea after their last meal/snack of the day (post 6pm) daily, for 21 days. The researchers would ask them not to consume anything after the tea. In a cup/mug the researchers would ask them to place a 2.5g tea bag and add 190ml of hot water (80-100◦C) and stir clockwise 10 consecutive times to allow for optimal infusion and then allow to brew for 5 minutes, before removal.

After the experimental period:

Before their final visit (or at their final visit): the researchers would like participants to fill in another food questionnaire and a stool scale.

Morning of their final visit. The researchers would ask the participant to come to WARU or Trimsaran Community Health Centre for their pre-organised timeslot to allow us to collect a fasted capillary (fingerpick) blood samples and stool sample. The researchers will also take their weight and height. They may consume their breakfast after their visit. Afterwards, they can go back to their 'normal' eating pattern.

02

Conditions studied

  • Obesity
  • Well-being

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Keywords

  • Herbal tea infusions
  • Lipid composition
  • Gut microbiome
  • Short Chain fatty acids
  • Well-being
03

In context

Obesity

11,522 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 2,033 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 55 is below the median of 67 across 9,006 interventional studies indexed under Obesity.

Browse Obesity studies →

Lead sponsor

Aberystwyth University is the lead sponsor of 9 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Consenting adults >18 y Age
  • Commit to fasting capillary blood collection
  • Commit to stool sampling collection
  • Able to refrain from taking any over-the-counter medication or herbal supplements during the diet monitoring and experimental periods.
  • Able to prepare and consume the tea during the experimental days, after the last meal/snack of the day and not to consume anything afterwards
  • Fill in diet diaries, FFQ and stool ranking
  • Able to inform the researcher if any antibiotics or heavy alcohol is consumed over the intervention period

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria

  • Showing (or anyone within the household) any COVID-19 symptoms (see COVID-19 basic health screen)*
  • Higher risk or vulnerable from coronavirus or live with someone at a higher risk of a severe illness from COVID-19 (over 70, undergoing cancer treatment, high risk of getting infections).
  • Had a letter from the NHS advising you to shield (isolate)
  • Had been at risk of exposure to COVID-19 such as travel, contact with someone with COVID-19, been exposed to the virus, or has been asked to self-isolate by the track and trace system.
  • Serious health conditions that require daily long-term medications (including )
  • A history or current diabetes, lung issues, gut inflammation (Crohns, IBD), digestive disorders
  • Diagnosed with a serious health condition within the last 12 months
  • Pregnant
  • Play sports at a high level (more than 7h/week or 1h/day)
  • Smoking
  • consume high dose of alcohol > 21 unit per week for men and > 14 units per week for women
  • Food allergy /food intolerance/ eating disorder or are on a specially prescribed diet

    • If the potential participant has had COVID-19 previously (and are fully recovered and not within isolation) then they are eligible to join the study
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

05

Study design

Phase
Early Phase 1
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
55 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Welsh Herbal tea with Senna

    Welsh Herbal tea with green tea and Senna

    Dietary Supplement: TeTrimTeas welsh Herbal tea with senna

  • Experimental
    Welsh Herbal tea with rhubarb root

    Welsh Herbal tea with green tea and rhubarb root

    Dietary Supplement: TeTrimTeas welsh Herbal tea with rhubarb root

  • Active comparator
    Green tea

    Dartmoor green tea

    Dietary Supplement: TeTrimTeas welsh Herbal tea with green tea

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementTeTrimTeas welsh Herbal tea with rhubarb root

    TeTrimTeas welsh Herbal tea with green tea and rhubarb root

  • Dietary supplementTeTrimTeas welsh Herbal tea with senna

    TeTrimTeas welsh Herbal tea with green tea and senna

  • Dietary supplementTeTrimTeas welsh Herbal tea with green tea

    TeTrimTeas welsh Herbal tea with green tea

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in total plasma Cholesterol after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in total Cholesterol (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from Baseline plasma Cholesterol after 21 days

  2. Change in total plasma Cholesterol after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in total Cholesterol (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from total Cholesterol plasma after the rhubarb root tea when compared with senna tea plasma Cholesterol after 21 days

  3. Change in total plasma Cholesterol after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in total Cholesterol (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from total Cholesterol plasma after the rhubarb root tea when compared with green tea plasma Cholesterol after 21 days

  4. Change in total plasma Cholesterol after the senna tea

    Change in total Cholesterol (mmol/L) after the senna tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from Baseline plasma Cholesterol after 21 days

  5. Change in total plasma Cholesterol after the green tea

    Change in total Cholesterol (mmol/L) after the green tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from Baseline plasma Cholesterol after 21 days

  6. Change in plasma Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from Baseline plasma Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after 21 days

  7. Change in plasma Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from plasma Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after the rhubarb root tea when compared with senna tea plasma Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after 21 days

  8. Change in plasma Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from plasma Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after the rhubarb root tea when compared with green tea plasma Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after 21 days

  9. Change in plasma Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after the senna tea

    Change in Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (mmol/L) after the senna tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from Baseline plasma Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after 21 days

  10. Change in plasma Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after the green tea

    Change in Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (mmol/L) after the green tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from Baseline plasma Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after 21 days

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in plasma High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Increase from Baseline plasma High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after 21 days

  2. Change in plasma High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Increase of plasma High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after Rhubarb root tea when compared with senna tea plasma High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after 21 days

  3. Change in plasma High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Increase of plasma High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after Rhubarb root tea when compared with green tea plasma High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after 21 days

  4. Change in plasma High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after the senna tea

    Change in High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (mmol/L) after the senna tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Increase from Baseline plasma High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after 21 days

  5. Change in plasma High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after the green tea

    Change in High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (mmol/L) after the green tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Increase from Baseline plasma High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after 21 days

  6. Change in plasma Triglycerides after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in Triglycerides (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from Baseline plasma Triglycerides after 21 days

  7. Change in plasma Triglycerides after the senna tea

    Change in Triglycerides (mmol/L) after the senna measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from senna tea plasma Triglycerides after 21 days

  8. Change in plasma Triglycerides after the green tea

    Change in Triglycerides (mmol/L) after the green tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from green tea plasma Triglycerides after 21 days

  9. Change in plasma Triglycerides after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in Triglycerides (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from rhubarb root plasma Triglycerides after 21 days when compared with senna tea plasma Triglycerides after 21 days

  10. Change in plasma Triglycerides after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in Triglycerides (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from rhubarb root plasma Triglycerides after 21 days when compared with green tea plasma Triglycerides after 21 days

  11. Change in plasma non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from Baseline plasma non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) after 21 days

  12. Change in plasma non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) after the senna tea

    Change in non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) (mmol/L) after the senna tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from senna tea plasma non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) after 21 days

  13. Change in plasma non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) after the green tea

    Change in non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) (mmol/L) after the green tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease from green tea plasma non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) after 21 days

  14. Change in plasma non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) (mmol/L) after the after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease of plasma non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) after 21 days of the rhubarb root tea when compared with 21 days of the senna tea

  15. Change in plasma non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) after the rhubarb root tea

    Change in non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) (mmol/L) after the rhubarb root tea measured in capillary bloods using AFINION S100

    Time frame: Decrease of plasma non- high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (total cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) after 21 days of the rhubarb root tea when compared with 21 days of the green tea

  16. Diet choices change measured using the Prime Diet Quality Score

    Measured using the Prime Diet Quality Score. The Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS) measures intake of the 22 component foods/food groups over the last 30 days with seven possible responses for each component ranging from "once a month or less" to "≥ 2 times/day." Scores are then summed to create a PDQS total diet quality score with a possible score from 0 to 126 with higher scores indicating a healthier diet.

    Time frame: Increased score from baseline Prime Diet Quality Score at 21 days after the Rhubarb root tea

  17. Diet choices change measured using the Prime Diet Quality Score

    Measured using the Prime Diet Quality Score. The Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS) measures intake of the 22 component foods/food groups over the last 30 days with seven possible responses for each component ranging from "once a month or less" to "≥ 2 times/day." Scores are then summed to create a PDQS total diet quality score with a possible score from 0 to 126 with higher scores indicating a healthier diet.

    Time frame: Increased score from baseline Prime Diet Quality Score at 21 days after the senna tea

  18. Diet choices change measured using the Prime Diet Quality Score

    Measured using the Prime Diet Quality Score. The Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS) measures intake of the 22 component foods/food groups over the last 30 days with seven possible responses for each component ranging from "once a month or less" to "≥ 2 times/day." Scores are then summed to create a PDQS total diet quality score with a possible score from 0 to 126 with higher scores indicating a healthier diet.

    Time frame: Increased score from baseline Prime Diet Quality Score at 21 days after the green tea

  19. Diet choices change measured using the Prime Diet Quality Score

    Measured using the Prime Diet Quality Score. The Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS) measures intake of the 22 component foods/food groups over the last 30 days with seven possible responses for each component ranging from "once a month or less" to "≥ 2 times/day." Scores are then summed to create a PDQS total diet quality score with a possible score from 0 to 126 with higher scores indicating a healthier diet.

    Time frame: Increased score from the Rhubarb root tea Prime Diet Quality Score at 21 days compared with the senna tea at 21 days

  20. Diet choices change measured using the Prime Diet Quality Score

    Measured using the Prime Diet Quality Score. The Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS) measures intake of the 22 component foods/food groups over the last 30 days with seven possible responses for each component ranging from "once a month or less" to "≥ 2 times/day." Scores are then summed to create a PDQS total diet quality score with a possible score from 0 to 126 with higher scores indicating a healthier diet.

    Time frame: Increased score from the Rhubarb root tea Prime Diet Quality Score at 21 days compared with the green tea at 21 days

  21. BMI change measured by weight and height

    BMI change measured by weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m\^2

    Time frame: Decrease score from baseline BMI Score at 21 days after the Rhubarb root tea

  22. BMI change measured by weight and height

    BMI change measured by weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m\^2

    Time frame: Decrease score from baseline BMI Score at 21 days after the senna tea

  23. BMI change measured by weight and height

    BMI change measured by weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m\^2

    Time frame: Decrease score from baseline BMI Score at 21 days after the green tea

  24. BMI change measured by weight and height

    BMI change measured by weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m\^2

    Time frame: Decreased score from the Rhubarb root tea BMI at 21 days compared with the senna tea at 21 days

  25. BMI change measured by weight and height

    BMI change measured by weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m\^2

    Time frame: Decreased score from the Rhubarb root tea BMI at 21 days compared with the green tea at 21 days

  26. Changes in short chain fatty acids concentrations in plasma

    Changes in short chain fatty acids concentrations in plasma measured using Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection

    Time frame: Increased concentration of total short chain fatty acids from baseline concentration at 21 days after the Rhubarb root tea

  27. Changes in short chain fatty acids concentrations in plasma

    Changes in short chain fatty acids concentrations in plasma measured using Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection

    Time frame: Increased concentration of total short chain fatty acids from baseline concentration at 21 days after the senna tea

  28. Changes in short chain fatty acids concentrations in plasma

    Changes in short chain fatty acids concentrations in plasma measured using Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection

    Time frame: Increased concentration of total short chain fatty acids from baseline concentration at 21 days after the green tea

  29. Changes in short chain fatty acids concentrations in plasma

    Changes in short chain fatty acids concentrations in plasma measured using Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection

    Time frame: Increased concentration of total short chain fatty acids after the rhubarb root tea at 21 days compared with the senna tea after 21 days

  30. Changes in short chain fatty acids concentrations in plasma

    Changes in short chain fatty acids concentrations in plasma measured using Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection

    Time frame: Increased concentration of total short chain fatty acids after the rhubarb root tea at 21 days compared with the green tea after 21 days

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Well-being and Health Assessment Research Unit (WARU)
    Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3FD, United Kingdom
08

References and documents

Study documents

PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — No individual participant data (IPD) will be available to other researchers.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 17, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05862532
Lead sponsor
Aberystwyth University
Collaborators
TeTrimTeas Cyf
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 17, 2023
Start date
Nov 17, 2022
Primary completion
Dec 10, 2022
Completion
May 31, 2023 (estimated)
Last update
May 17, 2023

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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