The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of dietary carbohydrate supplements (prebiotics) on cognition, behavior and physiology in healthy individuals.~This study will be separated into one pre-study visit + three consecutive weeks: Baseline (week 1), Intervention (week 2) and Assessment (week 3). For these three weeks, participants will be asked to take diet surveys and make in-person visits to complete online cognitive assessments and provide samples of blood and saliva to assess levels of serotonin and cortisol in addition to other basic metabolites. During the Intervention week, participants will be given snack bars that they will be asked to eat twice a day, for five days in a row. There will be two treatment groups that participants will be randomly assigned to, which vary according to the carbohydrate makeup of snack bars. For the entire three-week study period, participants will also be asked to collect samples of their stool at home every Tuesday and Friday. They will also be provided with wearable devices (a watch) to track their daily heart rate and activity level (including sleep) for the entirety of the study. Participants will be compensated for their time for each stage of the study, once in-person visits begin.~The greatest risks of this study include the possibility of infection while sampling your own stool, and momentary discomfort and/or bruising associated with blood draws. Discomfort as a result of consuming the bars is possible in the form of flatulence, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or borborygmi (stomach rumbling). Participants weighing less than 140 pounds may be more likely to develop diarrhea than those weighing more. Should any such discomfort occur, it can be alleviated simply by discontinuing consumption of the prebiotic. Infection, fainting, and excess bleeding/clotting, though highly unlikely, are also possible. Participants also face risks associated with the loss of confidentiality.
This study is designed to test the effects of prebiotics on cognition, behavior and physiology in healthy volunteers.