Oral Supplementation with Dihomo-γ-Linolenic Acid (DGLA)-Enriched Oil Increases Serum DGLA Content in Healthy Adults

Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) is one of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, and is expected to show anti-allergic activity. We examined the effects of supplementation with DGLA-enriched oil (450 mg as free DGLA) for 4 weeks in healthy adults in a randomized controlled study. The DGLA composition in the total fatty acids of serum phospholipids increased from 2.0 to 3.4 %, and returned to the initial level after a 4-week washout. No side effects or changes in blood biochemical parameters were observed. These results indicate that serum DGLA content can be safely increased by supplementation with 450 mg DGLA under these conditions.