The Gut health Enhancement by Eating favourable Food (GEEF) study was a 21-week research project with a citizen science approach. The study examined the effects of a fibre-rich diet and fermented foods on the gut microbiome and immune system. It also explored ways to motivate participants to maintain healthier eating habits in the long term. The research was led by Professor of Microbiology Remco Kort and Dr. Nicole de Wit, a Food Health & Consumer researcher at WFBR.
Citizen science elements
By integrating citizen science elements, participants were actively involved in the research. They were educated about the gut microbiome and received reports on the composition of their own microbiome. The dietary intervention was tailored to participants' personal preferences, and participants collected all the study outcomes themselves. They collected stool and blood samples, which provided information about the microbiome composition and inflammatory markers. Participants also measured gut transit time using blue cakes, tracking the time it took for food to pass through their digestive system. Additionally, some participants created vlogs to share their experiences.
Motivated participants
This approach provided several advantages for the researchers. Firstly, recruitment was relatively fast, with 1,448 people expressing interest in participating. Additionally, adherence to the dietary advice was high (>90%). The citizen science elements may have contributed to participants' motivation to follow the recommendations. Moreover, the findings are expected to be relatively successful in translating to real-world settings, as healthy Dutch adults were included, the dietary advice was based on personal preferences, and the research was conducted in a realistic environment.
Full Article
Incorporating citizen science elements in clinical research can potentially help in recruiting sufficient participants and improve adherence to dietary guidelines and study requirements. For more details on the study design and findings, the full article is available. The researchers thank all participants for their cooperation and express their gratitude to the Dutch Digestive Foundation, Keep Food Simple, Ani Biome, WholeFiberTM, MyMicroZoo, and HORAIZON for their valuable contributions to this research.