Testing Kefir for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)
Official title: Diabetes, Insulin, Gut, Enteric Supplementation Trial
Effects of a Kefir Intervention in Pregnancy on Glucose, Insulin, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, and the Gut Microbiome and Metabolites: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- 2 groups
- One site, in Fredericton
- Recruiting
Interventions
- Other intervention
Kefir
Kefir is a fermented dairy beverage containing a complex host of live bacteria and yeasts. In this study, participants assigned to the intervention group will consume 250 mL of kefir daily from approximately 14 weeks' gestation until the routine GDM screening window at 26-28 weeks' gestation. Participants will otherwise continue their usual prenatal care and habitual diet.
Canadian Sites (1)
1 of 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University Of New Brunswick
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for19 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +Able and willing to attend four in-person study visits at the PEADS Laboratory: baselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more →, 18-20 weeks' gestation, 26-28 weeks' gestation, and 1 month postpartum
- +Willing to avoid kefir consumption until completion of the 26-28-week study visit if assigned to the control groupControl groupThe group a new treatment is measured against.Read more →
- +Willing to avoid probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic supplements until completion of the 26-28-week study visit.
- +19 years and older of age
- +Gestational age 14,3 weeks or less at enrolmentEnrolmentThe number of participants a study plans to include, or has included.Read more →
- +Willing and able to comply with study group assignment, including daily consumption of 250 mL of kefir if assigned to the intervention group
- +Willing to provide required biological and clinical samples, including stool samples and glucose/insulin data, according to the study protocolProtocolThe detailed plan a study must follow.Read more →
- +No probiotic, prebiotic, synbiotic, or antibiotic use during the first trimester or at enrollment
- +Not currently consuming probiotic, prebiotic, synbiotic, or antiobiotic supplements
- +Does not engage in regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
- +Able to communicate in English or French
- +Currently living in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and not planning to relocate before the 1-month postpartum visit
- +Pregnant individual with a singleton pregnancy
- +No recent or active infectious illness or significant gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea or constipation in the first trimester of pregnancy.
- +No history of bariatric surgery
Exclusion
- −Allergy, intolerance, or other contraindication to dairy or components of kefir
- −Pre-existing metabolic disease affecting glucose regulation, including type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes
- −Current use or first trimester use of medications known to alter glucose metabolism, such as metformin or semaglutide
- −Gastrointestinal or inflammatory disease, including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, or diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a way to prevent a condition from developing.
This study is not organised into the usual phase numbers — that is common for device, behavioural, and diagnostic research.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
Who receives what
There are 2 groups in this study.
Group A receives Kefir.
Registry label: A: Daily Kefir Intake
Group B receives no study treatment and is followed for comparison.
Registry label: B: Control Group
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].label
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
How the study is run
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
You, the study team, and the people analysing the results would all be kept unaware of which group you are in until the study ends.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
One group receives no study treatment at all, and is followed for comparison.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
Who the study is looking for
The study lists a minimum age of 19 years, with no upper limit given.
The study lists female participants only.
The study accepts healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more → as well as people with the condition.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 60 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around June 2029.
The main measurement is taken over: BaselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more →, 18-20 weeks' gestation, 26-28 weeks' gestation.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Maternal Fasting Glucose Concentrations — measured over BaselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more →, 18-20 weeks' gestation, 26-28 weeks' gestation.
Maternal hbA1c Concentrations — measured over Baseline, 18-20 weeks' gestation, 26-28 weeks' gestation.
Maternal Fasting Insulin Concentrations — measured over 18-20 weeks' gestation, 26-28 weeks' gestation.
Maternal Insulin Area Under the Curve — measured over 18-20 weeks' gestation, 26-28 weeks' gestation.
The study lists 1 further main measurements.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT07682077 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About KefirDietary supplement
Kefir is a fermented dairy beverage containing a complex host of live bacteria and yeasts. In this study, participants assigned to the intervention group will consume 250 mL of kefir daily from approximately 14 weeks' gestation until the routine GDM screening window at 26-28 weeks' gestation. Participants will otherwise continue their usual prenatal care and habitual diet.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a dietary supplement is here: A vitamin, mineral, or other supplement being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: a minimum age of 19 years.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
One group receives no study treatment and is followed for comparison.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
You, the study team, and the people analysing the results would all be kept unaware of which group you are in until the study ends.
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists a minimum age of 19 years, with no upper limit given.
It lists female participants only.
It accepts healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more → as well as people with the condition.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: BaselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more →, 18-20 weeks' gestation, 26-28 weeks' gestation.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2029-06-01.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 60 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists one location: Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
Pregnancy is a critical window for metabolic health, and early changes in blood sugar regulation can increase the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), which affects both maternal and infant health. At the same time, the maternal gut microbiome changes throughout pregnancy and may play a role in glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. Kefir, a fermented milk drink containing beneficial bacteria and yeasts, may be a simple dietary strategy to support metabolic health during pregnancy, but its role in preventing GDM has not been well studied. This study will test whether drinking kefir daily from mid-pregnancy until routine GDM screening can improve glucose and insulin regulation, reduce the incidence of GDM, and modulate the maternal gut microbiome and metabolites, among other outcomes. Pregnant individuals will be randomly assigned to either a kefir group or a control group receiving usual prenatal care. Researchers will collect blood glucose and insulin measures, dietary information, stool samples, and body composition data across pregnancy and postpartum to evaluate metabolic and microbiome-related changes. As one of the first studies to examine kefir as an early pregnancy intervention for GDM prevention, this study will help clarify whether a practical, food-based approach can improve maternal metabolic health. The findings may support future nutrition strategies aimed at reducing GDM risk and improving pregnancy outcomes.
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This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.