GLENDALE, CALIF. — The Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, has donated $500,000 to Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute for a collaborative study to examine the effects of a diet rich in whole grains on body composition and energy metabolism.

The 26-week study will enroll 40 to 50 people who will eat meals provided by the Nestle Prepared Food Co.’s facility in Solon, Ohio. During the first phase, one group will eat a diet in which most of their carbohydrates come from whole grains while another group will eat a diet in which most of their carbohydrates come from refined grains. During the second phase, the groups will switch diets.

“This collaboration combines Nestle’s core expertise in nutrition with Lerner Research Institute’s scientific vision and will help us define the scientific basis for new product development,” said Brad Alford, chairman and chief executive officer of Nestle USA, Glendale.

Nestle Prepared Foods Co., based in Solon, is part of Nestle USA, which is owned by Nestle S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.