Inflammation and Protein Restriction

Short-Term Dietary Protein Restriction Modulation of Skeletal Muscle Bioenergetics and Innate Immunity

There is strong scientific data that supports that short-term protein restrictive diets reduce surgical stress responses. The investigators are hoping to use the information collected from the blood serum and muscle tissue of healthy subjects to help understand the baseline and early changes in muscle energetic and cell-mediated inflammation. The study team hopes to use the data collected in this pilot study to compare with patients undergoing open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in a future study

Modulation of a patient's diet, specifically via short-term dietary protein restriction, can impact changes in cell energetics and dampen the normal subclinical inflammatory state. These changes can provide benchmarks for future research focused on using nutritional interventions aimed at improving the probability of a successful outcome following open aortic aneurysm surgery. The investigators will conduct a short term dietary restriction protocol to characterize these changes in a normal control cohort to be compared to patients which undergo surgery, to identify the optimal time points for sampling in the surgical population. These changes will be characterized by looking at inflammatory cells in the blood, proteins excreted in the urine, changes in microbiome signature identified by stool sample and oral swab, as well as changes in muscle energetics in small muscle biopsies.

Subjects will follow a 4 day protein restricted diet using Scandishake® mixed with almond milk which will be provided.

Subjects will follow a 4 day protein restricted diet using Scandishake® mixed with almond milk which will be provided. They may also drink water. No food, other beverages, or alcohol may be consumed. The amount of diet to be consumed will be calculated for each patient based upon resting energy expenditures plus additional energy needs. These will be consumed by the study subjects at home in an unrestricted manner, in that they may be consumed at any point of time in the day.

Inclusion Criteria: Healthy volunteers between 18 and 70 years of age Exclusion Criteria: Age less than 18 years. The presence of any significant medical condition that might significantly confound the collection of biological data in the study including cancer, diabetes, IBD, Advanced Renal Disease, Nut Allergy Unwilling to follow protocol Participation in another interventional clinical trial. Prisoners, pregnancy, or direct employees of the investigative team