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K-State Today Student Edition

March 4, 2015

Participants needed for resistant starch study

Submitted by Michael Sweedman

We are currently seeking volunteers to take part in a study of a novel source of resistant starch. The test will take six hours of your time per session on three days during the month of March, each separated by at least two days washout.

During each session you would be able to do light tasks like reading and writing. At the completion of this study each participant will receive $60 compensation.

Participants will be required to fast — not eat solid food or anything containing sugar — overnight before coming to the test facility. At the facility, you will be given food bars made using a well-established recipe that includes one of the three test carbohydrates. These food bars may contain maize starch, corn syrup, wheat germ, brown sugar, gum acacia, emulsifier and food enzyme. The bars are each about 80 g, and contain around 320 kcal of energy.

You will be given about 10 minutes in which to eat the bar, after which time your blood glucose and breath hydrogen will be tested. The blood glucose test will require samples of blood to be taken using a finger prick, and will require you to remain at the testing center for the first two hours. After two hours you will be able to either stay or leave the testing center for non-strenuous activities, and may consume low carbohydrate foods such as saltines and beef jerky, but will be expected to take further breath samples at three, four, five, five and half, and six hours, where those samples taken at three and four hours can be collected on your own, and delivered to the testing center at the fifth hour. Breath testing requires deep breaths into a sample device, which you will be trained to operate. During the fasting period and the first two hours we ask that you do not eat anything apart from the test sample and drinking water. At the completion of the study, participants will be compensated with $60, equaling $20 per visit.

If you are interested in participating, please contact mcsweedm@k-state.edu with your availability during the month of March.