Participating in research at The Sourdough School involves several key steps to ensure that our studies produce valid, meaningful data. If you decide to participate, here is what you can expect:
- Sourdough Abstinence: To provide a clean baseline for our study, we generally ask that participants avoid consuming sourdough for 6 to 8 weeks prior to the start of the study. This ensures that any changes we observe during the study can be attributed to the sourdough you’ll be baking and eating during the study period.
- Gut Microbiome Test: Before the study begins, you’ll need to have your gut microbiome tested. This involves providing a stool sample, which will be analyzed to identify and quantify the types of bacteria and other microorganisms present in your gut.
- Bake and Eat Sourdough: During the study, you’ll bake sourdough using the ingredients we provide, and eat this bread daily for a specified period. This will allow us to study the effects of regular sourdough consumption on your health and gut microbiome.
- Re-test Gut Microbiome: After the sourdough consumption period, you’ll have your gut microbiome tested again. This will allow us to see what changes, if any, have occurred as a result of the dietary intervention.
- Keep a Food Diary: Throughout the study, we ask that you keep a diary of what you eat. This helps us understand how other aspects of your diet might be interacting with the sourdough intervention.
- Avoid Antibiotics: Unless absolutely necessary for your health, we ask that you avoid taking antibiotics during the study, as these can significantly alter the gut microbiome. If you must take antibiotics, please inform us.
- Feedback and Sharing Results: After the study, we invite you to return for a results day, where you can ask any questions and receive your personal feedback. We may also ask if you’re comfortable sharing your results as part of our teaching syllabus. This helps future students learn from real-world examples. However, this is entirely voluntary, and you can choose not to share your results if you prefer.
Remember, your comfort and consent are paramount throughout this process, and you always have the right to withdraw from the study at any time.