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NCT06294067: DRI-DHA

A Dose Response Investigation of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)

Completed Phase 1 Last updated 3 October 2025
What this trial tests

Phase 1 trial testing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in Nutrition, Healthy in 72 participants. Completed in 26 March 2025.

Timeline
26 February 2024
Primary endpoint
26 February 2025
26 March 2025

Quick facts

Lead sponsorUniversity of Toronto
PhasePhase 1
StatusCompleted
Study typeINTERVENTIONAL
Allocationrandomized
Designparallel
Maskingdouble
Primary purposebasic science
Enrollment72
Start date26 February 2024
Primary completion26 February 2025
Estimated completion26 March 2025
Sites1 location across Canada

Drugs / interventions tested

Conditions studied

Sponsor

University of Toronto

Who can join

Adults 18 to 50, any sex, with Nutrition, Healthy. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA), commonly consumed from fish, that regulates many critical functions within the body including the brain, eye, and heart. While the metabolic precursor to DHA, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is considered nutritionally essential and has a set Dietary Reference Intake (DRI), DHA has not yet been deemed essential and does not have a set DRI. Currently, research suggests an intake range of dietary DHA to be anywhere from 0 to over 500mg/d. The aim of our study is to further investigate a feedback mechanism or accumulation that occurs with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) as a result of increased dietary DHA to provide insight for potential Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) values. Hypothesis: The dietary DHA dose at which blood EPA levels increase is the point at which elongation slows, indicating a significant negative feedback pathway is present. Objectives: 1: To determine the dose-response for DHA to increase blood EPA levels in a mixed vegetarian and vegan population. 2: Investigate the DHA dose and time at dose that increases EPA using natural abundance delta carbon-13 (δ13C) as a tracer. 3: To measure DHA turnover and loss rates. 4: Provide data for exploratory analyses related to PUFA metabolism and the effect of DHA on disease related biomarkers. Method: During an 8-week trial, 72 healthy vegan or vegetarian males and females (18-50 years) will be supplemented with 1 of 6 algal-oil based DHA doses: 0, 100, 200, 400, 800 or 1000 mg/d. Blood will be collected at days 0, 3, 7, 14, 28 and 56 and will be analyzed for changes in blood EPA levels as the primary outcome and plasma δ13C EPA signature as the secondary outcome. Significance: Investigating this negative feedback pathway is of great importance in providing evidence to support n-3 PUFA DRIs. EPA and DHA are ecologically sensitive with their major source coming from unsustainably farmed fish stocks and having a set DRI may help to limit the overconsumption of these nutrients.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial. Completed trials usually publish results within 12-18 months.

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Other recruiting trials for Nutrition, Healthy

Currently open trials in the same condition.

Other University of Toronto trials

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Data sources for this page

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Primary sources · FDA · ClinicalTrials.gov · EMA · SEC EDGAR · ChEMBL · Wikidata · full sourcing