Not yet recruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

Functional Foods for Health

Feeling stressed can affect your body's immune system and lead to inflammation. Our gut, which is home to many helpful bacteria, plays a key role in our overall health and immunity. This study is exploring whether a daily jelly, containing a natural fibre called alginate from brown seaweed, can help improve gut health and the body's immune responses in adults who are experiencing ongoing stress. We know that certain foods can support the good bacteria in our gut. Alginate is one such fibre that might help. This research aims to find out if this special jelly can reduce signs of inflammation in the body by changing the types of bacteria in the gut. We're looking for adults aged 18-50 who feel moderately stressed to take part.

At a glance

Status

Not yet recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

University of Reading

Enrolment target

Start

19 Oct 2026

Estimated completion

01 Apr 2027

Stress, Psychological

What is this study about?

This research project, called 'Functional Foods for Health', is looking into how our gut health is connected to stress and our immune system. When we're stressed for a long time, it can make our immune system weaker and cause inflammation in the body. Our gut is super important because it contains billions of tiny, helpful bacteria that support our immune system and overall health. Some foods, like prebiotics (special fibres that feed good gut bacteria), can help keep this balance.

We're focusing on a natural fibre called alginate, which comes from brown seaweed. This fibre is often found in foods and we believe it might help the good bacteria in your gut and reduce inflammation. In this study, we want to see if taking a daily jelly that contains this alginate can make a positive difference to gut health and how your body's immune system responds when you're under stress. We'll compare it to a jelly that looks and tastes the same but doesn't have the alginate, called a placebo, to understand the real effects.

Specifically, we're inviting adults who feel a moderate amount of ongoing stress to take part. We'll be checking to see if this special jelly can help to lower levels of inflammation in the body, possibly by changing the mix of bacteria living in your gut. It's an important step to understand how food might help manage the effects of stress on our bodies.

Key takeaways

This study explores if a seaweed fibre jelly can help people with moderate stress.
It aims to improve gut health and how the body handles stress and inflammation.
Participants will take a daily jelly (either with seaweed fibre or a dummy product).
It's for adults aged 18-50 with specific health and stress levels.
Your contribution could help us understand how diet impacts stress and immunity.

Who may be eligible?

We are looking for adults between 18 and 50 years old. To join, you should have a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 29.9, which is considered a healthy weight range or moderately overweight. You also need to be experiencing a moderate level of ongoing stress, which we'll check with a special questionnaire. It's important that you're willing to follow all the study instructions and give your permission to take part.

There are some reasons why you wouldn't be able to join. For example, if you have certain health conditions like diabetes, heart, kidney, liver, or bowel diseases, or if you've been diagnosed with a mood or anxiety disorder. We also can't include you if you've recently taken antibiotics, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to get pregnant soon. If you have allergies to any foods that would be in the study products, or if you're taking certain medications for conditions like anaemia, high blood pressure, or depression, you won't be able to participate. You also shouldn't be actively trying to lose weight or taking weight-loss injections.

Finally, if you've taken part in another research study recently, or if you regularly use prebiotic or probiotic supplements, you wouldn't be suitable for this study. These rules help make sure the study is safe for everyone involved and that we get clear results.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you between 18 and 50 years old?
Do you feel moderately stressed on an ongoing basis?
Do you have a healthy weight (BMI between 18.5 and 29.9)?
Have you *not* taken antibiotics in the last 3 months?
Are you *not* pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy in the next 6 months?
Do you *not* have a serious long-term health condition like diabetes, heart, kidney, or liver disease?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you decide to take part, the study will involve several steps over a few weeks. You'll be asked to visit the study centre a few times for health checks and to provide samples, such as blood or stool samples. You will be given either the special alginate jelly or a dummy jelly (placebo) to take every day at home for a set period. You won't know which one you're taking, and neither will the study team, to keep the results fair.

Throughout the study, we'll ask you to fill out questionnaires about your stress levels, diet, and general well-being. We might also ask you to keep a diary of what you eat. It's really important that you take the jelly as instructed and come to all your scheduled appointments so we can properly track any changes.

We'll monitor your health and gather information regularly. At the end of the study period, there will be a final set of assessments, similar to the initial ones. The total time you'll be involved in the study will be explained in detail before you agree to take part.

Potential risks and benefits

Taking part in this study may offer some potential benefits, such as contributing to scientific understanding of how food fibres can affect stress and gut health. You might also find out more about your own health through the assessments. However, we can't guarantee any direct health benefits for you personally from taking the study product. As with any study, there are some potential risks. These are generally low for this type of research, but could include minor discomfort from blood tests or potential mild digestive changes from the jelly, as alginate is a fibre. All products are generally safe and widely used in foods. We will carefully explain all known risks before you agree to participate, and your safety will be our top priority throughout the study. Remember, you are completely free to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without it affecting your medical care.

Locations (1)

University of Reading
Verified postcode
Reading, United Kingdom

Common questions

What is 'alginate'?

Alginate is a natural fibre that comes from brown seaweed. It's commonly used in foods and we think it might help good bacteria in your gut.

What does 'placebo' mean?

A placebo is a dummy product that looks and tastes like the real jelly but doesn't contain the active ingredient (alginate). It helps us see if the alginate jelly truly has an effect.

Will I know if I'm getting the real jelly or the dummy jelly?

No, you won't know, and neither will the study team. This is called 'blinding' and helps make sure the results are fair and unbiased.

What is 'inflammation'?

Inflammation is your body's natural response to injury or infection. Long-term stress can cause your body to have low levels of inflammation, which isn't healthy.

Do I have to pay to join the study?

No, you will not have to pay to join this study. All study-related products and assessments are provided free of charge.

How to find out more

Anisha Wijeyesekera

a.wijeyesekera@reading.ac.uk +44 (0) 118 378 6648 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.