UMaine seeks volunteers for blueberry study

The University of Maine department of food science and human nutrition is looking for volunteers for an eight-to-12-week study to test theories about the effects of wild blueberry consumption on hunger and blood chemistry.

The purpose of the study is to demonstrate whether consumption of wild blueberries as part of a meal makes a person feel full sooner, potentially leading to weight loss, and slows the release of glucose and insulin into the blood, thus reducing risks for diabetes and obesity.

The study, funded by the Maine Technology Institute, the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, is slated to start in the near future and will extend into the summer.

The research is a randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study. Volunteers will report to the laboratory at UM’s Hitchner Hall in the morning after a minimum 10-hour fast and will receive a breakfast consisting of cornflakes, skim milk and orange juice.

Participants then will be assigned randomly into four groups, each of which will receive one out of four possible meal supplements. After the meals, participants will be asked to fill out a survey and to donate a blood sample for testing. Subjects will return every two to three weeks to repeat the experience, for a total of four times within a maximum of 12 weeks.

Upon completion of the study, participants will receive a $200 stipend.

Participants must be 25-50 years old, have a body mass index of 25-29.9 or 18.5-24.9, and not smoke. They also must eat three regular meals per day, not have an allergy or intolerance to corn, lactose, blueberries or orange juice, not be pregnant or lactating, not currently be trying to lose or gain weight, or have lost or gained an excess of three kilograms or eight pounds in the previous three months. Volunteers can’t have diabetes or be engaged in athletic training, and also cannot be using medications or dietary supplements that affect appetite or blood sugar.

For more information, call 581-8434.