The Zeisel Lab at the NRI is recruiting participants for a clinical study on the essential nutrient choline. The lab needs healthy females and males between the ages of 17 and 70 to take part in a six-week study. Participants will be asked to provide blood samples and will eat meals provided by the NRI during the course of the study. “Healthy” means normal body weight, and no smoking, drug abuse, unusual diets, allergy to soy, or chronic diseases. All qualifying participants will be paid when they complete the study.
Choline is a water-soluble essential nutrient, meaning that it cannot be made by the body enough and so must be acquired through food. Choline is required for normal human body function, being needed for the formation of neurotransmitters and for strengthening cell walls.
A world-renowned scientist, NRI Director Steve Zeisel, MD, PhD, is credited with the discovery of choline’s role as an essential nutrient, particularly for women during pregnancy. His studies on choline were the first to create an understanding of the nutrient’s critical role in brain development.
Dr. Zeisel’s laboratory is now developing a new biomarker panel that will allow health professionals to assess a person’s choline status. Although choline is such an important nutrient, there are no good validated biomarkers for assessing choline nutritional status that can be practically applied in clinical or public health practice. The Zeisel Lab seeks to establish one. Participants in this clinical study will advance that knowledge.
To volunteer for this study call 704-250-5035 or write to NRI_cholinebio@unc.edu.
Check out all of the clinical studies currently underway at the NRI.
