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Ulcerative Colitis (UC)Sulfur-UCNCT07640659

Using Breath Tests to Study Gut Sulfur Changes During Dietary Therapy

A study testing Elemental formula (mBiota Elemental, Good LFE, Santa Monica, CA), Reduced Sulfur diet and Habitual Diet in people with Ulcerative Colitis (UC), run by University of British Columbia at 1 site in Canada.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This study aims to test whether a short liquid-based diet, followed by a low-sulfur eating plan, is safe, manageable, and helpful for people with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. Investigators want to see if this approach can improve gut health, lower inflammation, and reduce symptoms. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 19 to 70 years
Conditions the study is for
Ulcerative Colitis (UC)
What is being tested?
Elemental formula (mBiota Elemental, Good LFE, Santa Monica, CA), Reduced Sulfur diet and Habitual Diet
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
45 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
1 Jun 2026to 31 Dec 2029
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 19 to 70 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age 19-70 years.
  • =Diagnosis of mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis, defined by a partial Mayo score (pMayo) of 2-7.
  • Evidence of active inflammation at enrollment, defined as:
  • C-reactive protein (CRP) > 5 mg/L; or
  • Fecal calprotectin (FCP) > 200 µg/g.
  • Receiving stable medical therapy for ulcerative colitis for at least 8 weeks prior to enrollment.
  • No corticosteroid use at the time of recruitment.
  • Under consideration by the treating physician for treatment escalation or biologic switch due to inadequate response to current therapy.

Who cannot join

  • Partial Mayo score (pMayo) > 7.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Body mass index (BMI) < 18 kg/m².
  • History of an eating disorder.
  • Severe psychiatric disorder.
  • Severe medical conditions, including:
Show all 23Show fewer
  • Active cancer;
  • Significant cardiovascular disease;
  • Diabetes mellitus; or
  • Severe food allergies.
  • Known allergy or intolerance to corn, dextrose, or maltodextrin.
  • Antibiotic use within 3 months prior to enrollment.
  • Probiotic use within 3 months prior to enrollment.
  • Use of herbal anti-inflammatory supplements during the study period, including but not limited to:
  • Serrapeptidase;
  • Curcumin;
  • Boswellia; or
  • Bromelain.
  • History of major gastrointestinal surgery, including:
  • Ostomy;
  • Total colectomy; or
  • Short bowel syndrome.
  • Inability or unwillingness to comply with study procedures, including anticipated travel or other commitments that may interfere with participation.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Natasha Haskey, PhD contact

250-807-9597

natasha.haskey@ubc.ca

Canada1 site
  • University of British Columbia-Okanagan

    Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 1V7

    Natasha Haskey, RD, PhD, 250-807-9597, natasha.haskey@ubc.ca

    Natasha Haskey, RD, PhD

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Sulfur on the Breath: Using Breath Biomarkers to Monitor Gut Microbial Sulfur Metabolism During Elemental and Reduced Sulfur Dietary Therapy

This study aims to test whether a short liquid-based diet, followed by a low-sulfur eating plan, is safe, manageable, and helpful for people with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. Investigators want to see if this approach can improve gut health, lower inflammation, and reduce symptoms. Investigators will also test breath samples as an easy, non-invasive way to track gut bacteria activity and disease changes. Investigators believe this diet plan can reduce harmful gut bacteria that produce irritating sulfur compounds, leading to better gut health and measurable improvements that can be detected through breath testing.

Read the detailed description

Purpose To determine whether a short-term elemental diet followed by a reduced sulfur diet is a safe, tolerable, and effective non-pharmacologic strategy to improve clinical outcomes, reduce inflammation, and beneficially modulate the gut microbiome in adults with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis. A secondary purpose is to validate breath-based biomarkers as non-invasive tools to monitor sulfur metabolism and disease activity. Breath biomarkers include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) to assess sulfur-related metabolites.

Hypothesis A 2-week elemental diet followed by a 10-week reduced sulfur diet will reduce intestinal inflammation and improve clinical outcomes by shifting the gut microbiome away from pro-inflammatory, sulfur-metabolizing bacteria, resulting in reduced sulfur metabolite production detectable through exhaled volatile organic compounds and exhaled breath condensate.

Justification Despite advances in biologic therapies, many UC patients fail to achieve sustained remission, and current treatments do not address upstream drivers such as diet-microbiome interactions. Elemental diets have demonstrated efficacy in Crohn's disease but remain understudied in UC. Emerging evidence links dietary sulfur, microbial sulfur metabolism, and toxic metabolites to UC pathogenesis. This study addresses critical gaps by testing a feasible dietary intervention and validating non-invasive breath biomarkers for real-time disease monitoring and precision nutrition.

Objectives

  • Evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and feasibility of an elemental diet followed by an reduced sulfur diet.
  • Characterize changes in gut microbiome composition, inflammatory markers, and sulfur-related metabolic outputs.
  • Validate breath-based volatile organic compounds and exhaled breath condensate as biomarkers of sulfur metabolism and treatment response.
  • Identify microbial and metabolic signatures predictive of dietary response.

Research Design A prospective, randomized, controlled trial in adults with mild-to-moderate UC. All participants complete a 2-week elemental diet, followed by randomization (2:1) to either a reduced sulfur diet group (intervention group) or return to habitual diet group (control group) for 10 weeks. Clinical indices, inflammatory biomarkers, stool microbiome profiles and breath samples are collected longitudinally. The initial 2-week elemental diet is applied uniformly to standardize baseline microbial and metabolic conditions prior to randomization and does not replace or delay clinical care decisions.

Statistical Analysis Primary outcomes will be assessed using within- and between-group comparisons of clinical and biochemical response at week 12. Microbiome and metabolomic data will be analyzed using multivariate and differential abundance methods. Correlations between breath biomarkers, microbiome features, and clinical outcomes will assess sensitivity and specificity.

Being tested
Elemental formula (mBiota Elemental, Good LFE, Santa Monica, CA), Reduced Sulfur diet, Habitual Diet
Keywords
Ulcerative colitis
Medical subject headings
Colitis, Ulcerative

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Elemental formula (mBiota Elemental, Good LFE, Santa Monica, CA)Dietary supplement

    Elemental liquid diets (EDs) are a subset of Exclusive Enteral Nutrition (EEN). Similar to EEN, they are nutritionally complete formulas, but differ in that they consist of free amino acids, monosaccharides, and fatty acids instead of whole, intact macronutrients, which are designed for optimal digestibility and to minimize antigenicity. EDs have been shown to reduce immune activation, favourably modulate the microbiota, suppress proinflammatory cytokines, support epithelial repair, and exclude common dietary additives that may provoke inflammation.

  • Reduced Sulfur dietBehavioural

    This diet excludes high sulfur foods (e.g., red meat, seafood, eggs), cruciferous vegetables, dried fruits, and fermented beverages. It also accounts for sulfate intake from drinking water and processed food additives.

  • Habitual DietBehavioural

    Participants randomized to the comparator group will continue their usual dietary intake for 10 weeks without specific dietary restrictions.

Study groups in NCT07640659
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Reduced Sulfur DietExperimentalParticipants will consume a novel elemental formula (mBiota Elemental, Good LFE, Santa Monica, CA) as their sole source of nutrition for two weeks. followed by a 10-week reduced sulfur diet. The reduced sulfur diet is designed to limit dietary sources of sulfur-containing compounds that may contribute to hydrogen sulfide production by the gut microbiota.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Elemental formula (mBiota Elemental, Good LFE, Santa Monica, CA); Behavioral: Reduced Sulfur diet
Habitual DietActive comparatorParticipants will complete a 2-week elemental diet intervention followed by a 10-week habitual diet. Participants will be instructed to resume and maintain their usual dietary intake without specific sulfur-restriction recommendations.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Elemental formula (mBiota Elemental, Good LFE, Santa Monica, CA); Behavioral: Habitual Diet

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Composite clinical and biochemical response

    Composite clinical and biochemical response at week 12, defined as >30% and >1-point reduction in pMayo score from baseline, plus rectal bleeding subscore decrease of >1 or an absolute subscore <1, with fecal calprotectin <250 μg/g and CRP <5 mg/L.

    Measured: Baseline, Week 2 and week 12

Secondary outcomes (11)
  1. Stool Biomarkers

    fecal calprotectin, shotgun metagenomics (microbiome composition, sulfur metabolizing bacteria), and targeted metabolomics (e.g., hydrogen sulfide, thiosulfate)

    Measured: Baseline, week 2 and week 12

  2. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) concentration

    Serum CRP concentration will be measured to assess systemic inflammation.

    Measured: Baseline, week 2 and week 12

  3. Complete Blood Count (CBC) parameters

    CBC parameters, including hemoglobin, white blood cell count, platelet count, and differential counts, will be measured.

    Measured: Baseline, week 2 and week 12

  4. Serum inflammatory biomarker concentrations

    Serum concentrations of IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1, and LBP will be measured individually and reported separately.

    Measured: Baseline, week 2 and week 12

  5. Breath Biomarkers

    Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) to assess sulfur-containing metabolites and host-microbiota interactions

    Measured: Baseline, week 2 and week 12

  6. Adherence to the Elemental Diet and Reduced Sulfur Diet Intervention

    Adherence to the ED intervention will be assessed using a modified Medication Adherence Report Scale questionnaire at each visit, as well as through compliance phone calls and food diaries. Poor adherence will be defined as meeting at least one of the following three criteria:

    1. intolerance, indicated by discontinuation of dietary therapy due to the patient's refusal to continue; or
    2. low adherence scores (score of 0-1) reported on the modified Medication Adherence Report Scale; and
    3. collect the empty mBiota containers as a measure of adherence. Adherence to the RS diet will be assessed through food recalls collected via ASA-24.

    Adverse events (AEs) will be systematically collected throughout the study using a combination of participant self-reporting, scheduled assessments, and clinical monitoring.

    Measured: Baseline, week 2 and week 12

  7. Change in Quality of Life

    Health-related quality of life will be measured using the 12-item short form-12 (SF-12). The SF-12 comprises two components: physical health and mental health. Scores range from 0 to 100, where 0 indicates the lowest level of health and 100 the highest.

    Measured: Baseline, week 2 and week 12

  8. Change in Anxiety

    Anxiety will be assessed by the GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7). It is a self-reported screening tool used to measure the severity of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms over the past two weeks. The total score ranges from 0 to 21. A score of 10 or higher typically indicates clinically significant anxiety and suggests the need for further evaluation or intervention..

    Measured: Baseline, week 2 and week 12

  9. Change in Depression

    Depression levels will be assessed by PHQ-8 (Patient Health Questionnaire-8). It is a widely used self-report screening tool for assessing the severity of depressive symptoms over the past two weeks. The total score is the sum of all item responses, ranging from 0 to 24. A score of 10 or higher indicates the presence of clinically significant depressive symptoms and suggests the need for further evaluation or intervention.

    Measured: Baseline, week 2 and week 12

  10. Change in Weight

    Body weight will be measured in kilograms (kg)

    Measured: Baseline, week 2 and week 12

  11. Change in Body Mass Index (BMI)

    BMI will be calculated as weight (kg) divided by height squared (m²).

    Measured: Baseline, week 2 and week 12

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted11 Jun 2026
  2. Study start1 Jun 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion1 Mar 2029 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2029 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
45 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07640659
Sponsor's protocol ID
H26-00017
Other IDs
POP25-11968
Acronym
Sulfur-UC
Status last verified
Jun 2026
First submitted
29 May 2026
Last updated
11 Jun 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: All IPD used in the results of the publication will be shared

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Elemental formula (mBiota Elemental, Good LFE, Santa Monica, CA), Reduced Sulfur diet and Habitual Diet in people with Ulcerative Colitis (UC), run by University of British Columbia at 1 site in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 23 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Natasha Haskey, PhD (250-807-9597, natasha.haskey@ubc.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Composite clinical and biochemical response (time frame: Baseline, Week 2 and week 12). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Jun 2026.

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