Lean Pork for Cognitive Health

Overseen By Jisheng Wu, BS

Age: 65+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Nebraska Lincoln

Must not be taking: Amphetamines, Antidepressants, Statins, others

Disqualifiers: Dementia, Stroke, Cancer, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 6

Duration: 16 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if increasing lean pork consumption can enhance brain health and thinking skills in older adults. Researchers will compare individuals who add ready-to-eat pork meals to their diet with those who maintain their usual eating habits. Suitable candidates are individuals aged 65-75 who currently consume little pork and are willing to follow a specific meal plan while avoiding dietary supplements. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to understanding dietary impacts on brain health.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

Yes, if you are currently using medications like amphetamines, antidepressants, anti-diabetic medications, laxatives, antibiotics, statins, or diuretics, you will need to stop taking them to participate in this trial.

Is there any evidence suggesting that eating lean pork is safe for older adults?

Research has shown that lean pork can be part of a healthy diet. One study found that adding lean pork to a Mediterranean diet improved cognitive processing speed and boosted mood in individuals at risk for heart disease and dementia. This suggests that lean pork is easy to digest and might benefit the brain.

Concerns often arise about pork's fat content and its link to heart disease. However, when pork is lean, these risks decrease. Eating fresh, lean pork a few times a week as part of a balanced diet has been shown to support good brain health.

Overall, lean pork appears safe for most people and may even help improve brain health. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about lean pork for cognitive health because it offers a nutritional approach to support brain function, which is different from typical cognitive health treatments like medications or supplements. Unlike standard options that often focus on altering brain chemistry directly through drugs, lean pork provides a source of high-quality protein and essential nutrients that might naturally enhance cognitive function. This dietary intervention is appealing because it is easy to integrate into daily life and might offer a sustainable way to support brain health without the side effects associated with pharmaceuticals.

What evidence suggests that eating lean pork might be an effective treatment for cognitive health?

This trial will compare the effects of a lean pork dietary intervention with a control group maintaining their regular diet. Research has shown that adding lean pork to a Mediterranean-style diet can improve brain function in older adults. One study found that older people who ate lean pork had better processing speed and mood. Another study suggested that pork might help brain function by supporting areas related to vision and attention. A small initial study also indicated that moderate pork intake could boost thinking skills in older adults. These findings suggest that lean pork may benefit brain health and thinking abilities. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Aron Barbey, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for older adults interested in whether eating lean pork can improve brain health and cognition. Participants must be willing to add ready-to-eat pork meals to their regular diet or maintain their usual diet without additional pork. They should also commit to weekly visits for meal pickup and surveys, plus assessments before and after the 16-week study period.

Inclusion Criteria

Provision of signed and dated informed consent form

Willingness to adhere to the ready-to-eat lean pork intervention regimen or the control condition regimen (depending on group assignment)

I can perform daily tasks like managing my medications and finances.

Exclusion Criteria

I have been diagnosed with a form of dementia.

Current use of nicotine products, including vaping

I was diagnosed with cancer, other than prostate or basal cell, within the last 3 years.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Participants undergo baseline assessments including MRI scans, cognitive and psychological evaluations, and blood draws

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Treatment

Participants in the experimental group consume 4 portions of ready-to-eat lean pork weekly for 16 weeks, while control group maintains regular diet

16 weeks

Weekly visits (in-person) for experimental group; every 4 weeks for control group

Post-intervention Assessment

Participants complete post-intervention assessments including MRI scans, cognitive and psychological evaluations, and blood draws

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Lean Pork

Trial Overview The study is testing if consuming lean pork as part of a regular diet enhances cognitive function and slows brain aging compared to those who don't add extra pork. The experimental group will eat provided pork meals, while the control group won't change their diets.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Experimental Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The experimental group will participate in the 16-week lean pork dietary intervention study. Participants will be provided with 4 portions of ready-to-eat lean pork in frozen packages per week. Each portion of ready-to-eat lean pork provided to this group will weigh 5 ounces.

Group II: Control Group Active Control 1 Intervention

The control group will not participate in any dietary intervention, other than being instructed to maintain their regular diet.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Lead Sponsor

Trials

40

Recruited

13,200+

National Pork Board

Collaborator

Trials

6

Recruited

390+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683093/

A Mediterranean Diet with Fresh, Lean Pork Improves ... Conclusion: Our findings indicate that a Mediterranean diet inclusive of fresh, lean pork can be adhered to by an older non-Mediterranean ...

2. porkcheckoff.org porkcheckoff.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/21-142-BARBEY-final-rpt.pdf

NPPC Interim Report Format We observed that pork phenotypes were associated with the efficiency of brain function with the visual and attentional networks. • Our research ...

3. journals.sagepub.com journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3233/JAD-230474

Association of Pork Intake with Cognitive Performance in ... A pilot clinical study suggests the addition of moderate amounts of pork to a Mediterranean-style diet improves cognition in older adults.

4. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/334246148_A_Mediterranean_Diet_with_Fresh_Lean_Pork_Improves_Processing_Speed_and_Mood_Cognitive_Findings_from_the_MedPork_Randomised_Controlled_Trial

A Mediterranean Diet with Fresh, Lean Pork Improves ... Background: The Mediterranean diet may be capable of improving cognitive function. However, the red meat restrictions of the diet could ...

5. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37781803/

Association of Pork Intake with Cognitive Performance in ... A pilot clinical study suggests the addition of moderate amounts of pork to a Mediterranean-style diet improves cognition in older adults.

6. porkcheckoff.org porkcheckoff.org/research/investigating-the-role-of-pork-consumption-on-cognition-and-brain-health-through-innovation-in-nutritional-cognitive-neuroscience/

Investigating the Role of Pork Consumption on Cognition ... Lean pork consumption is linked with functional efficiency within the visual and ventral attentional networks of the brain, as well as favorable brain age.

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11202857/

Pork Meat Composition and Health: A Review of the ... There is a common belief that eating pork meat might increase the risk of cardiovascular disease due to its fat content, particularly its fatty acid composition ...

8. mdpi.com mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/7/1521

A Mediterranean Diet with Fresh, Lean Pork Improves ... Our findings indicate that the MedPork intervention was capable of improving processing speed and mood in a population at risk of CVD and therefore dementia.

9. iastatedigitalpress.com iastatedigitalpress.com/mmb/article/id/12953/

Pork Consumption and Its Relationship to Human Nutrition ... The inclusion of 2 to 3 weekly servings of fresh, lean pork in the Mediterranean diet was shown to lead to improved cognitive performance over ...

10. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-dietary-interventions-7-2025-2b1df

Lean Pork for Cognitive Health · Info for Participants The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if eating more lean pork will lead to better cognition and a healthier brain in older adults.