Perspective: Guidelines Needed for the Conduct of Human Nutrition Randomized Controlled Trials

Abstract

Guidelines for designing, conducting, documenting, and reporting human nutrition randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have as yet to be developed and disseminated as reference for investigators, funders, regulators, institutions, assessors, trainees, and others involved in human nutrition research. Diet-related interventions can include diet and/or behavioral manipulation, provision of foods or entire meals, or delivery of dietary components in individual food items or supplements. This Perspective introduces a series of papers that outline core principles for the design and conduct of human nutrition RCTs, documentation and reporting of all aspects of clinical trial management, and data analysis and reporting of results. Human nutrition RCTs have unique considerations delineated in these papers. Conducting them with the highest scientific rigor is essential to the development of evidence-based dietary guidance for promoting optimal health and advancing health care.