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CompletedNCT00459485Updated Feb 19, 2010

Effects of Initiation and Discontinuation of Short Term Zinc Supplementation on Plasma Zinc Concentration

A Phase 4 interventional study of zinc sulfate and Placebo in Zinc Deficiency, sponsored by University of California, Davis. Completed. Open to male participants aged 19 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2010-02-19.

Sponsored by University of California, Davis · Phase 4, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
58
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
19 Years to 65 Years
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

This is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial conducted in men 19-65 years of age who will receive daily zinc supplements (10 or 20 mg zinc/d as zinc sulfate) or placebo for 21 days. Blood samples for plasma zinc and CRP concentrations will be drawn at baseline and days 1, 2, 5, 9, 14, and 21 during supplementation and days 1, 2, 5, 9, and 14 after discontinuation of supplementation.

Read the detailed description

The study will be a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial conducted in men 19-65 years of age. Participants will receive daily zinc or placebo liquid supplements for 21 days. Supplemental zinc will be given as zinc sulfate; the lower dose zinc supplement will contain 10 mg/d elemental zinc, and the higher dose zinc supplement will contain 20 mg/d elemental zinc. The placebo will contain the same excipients expect for zinc sulfate.

Multiple blood draws will be performed throughout the course of the study, to determine the responsiveness of plasma zinc concentrations to zinc supplementation. Two baseline blood draws will occur prior to the start of supplementation (study days -7 and 0). Blood draws will be performed on days 1, 2, 5, 9, 14 and 21 of the 21 day supplementation period. Upon termination of supplementation (day 21), blood draws will be performed on days 1, 2, 5, 9, 14 and 21 post-supplementation (study days 22, 23, 26, 30, 35 and 42).

The major outcomes of interest are the magnitude and velocity of change in plasma zinc concentration. Other outcomes to be assessed are plasma concentrations of the acute phase proteins CRP and AGP, as well as reported morbidity, because of their potential roles as confounding variables. Anthropometric variables will be assessed at baseline.

02

Conditions studied

  • Zinc Deficiency

Keywords

  • Plasm zinc concentration
  • Zinc supplementation
  • Assessment of zinc status
  • Plasma zinc concentration
03

In context

Lead sponsor

University of California, Davis is the lead sponsor of 809 studies on the registry; 145 are open to participants now.

Of its 67 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 43 (64%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
19 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Generally health men
  • 19-65 years
  • Non-anemic

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age \<19 or >65
  • Hemoglobin \<120 g/L
  • Clinical evidence of illness
  • Consumption of mineral supplements
  • Recent blood donation (within 8 weeks)
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
58 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Zinc supplement (20 mg)

    Daily intake of 20 mg supplementary zinc

    Dietary Supplement: zinc sulfate

  • Experimental
    Zinc supplement (10 mg)

    Daily intake of 10 mg supplementary zinc

    Dietary Supplement: zinc sulfate

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo supplement

    Daily intake of placebo supplement

    Dietary Supplement: Placebo

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementzinc sulfate

    20 or 10 mg zinc per day for 3 weeks

    Also known as: Producer: UCD pharmacy

  • Dietary supplementPlacebo

    Daily placebo for 3 weeks

    Also known as: Producer: UCD pharmacy

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Plasma zinc concentration

    Time frame: 3 weeks

07

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

References and documents

Publications

  • Wessells KR, Jorgensen JM, Hess SY, Woodhouse LR, Peerson JM, Brown KH. Plasma zinc concentration responds rapidly to the initiation and discontinuation of short-term zinc supplementation in healthy men. J Nutr. 2010 Dec;140(12):2128-33. doi: 10.3945/jn.110.122812. Epub 2010 Oct 13. PubMed 20943956 ↗
09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 19, 2010, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00459485
Collaborators
USDA, Western Human Nutrition Research Center
First posted
Apr 12, 2007
Start date
Apr 2007
Primary completion
Dec 2007
Completion
Dec 2007
Last update
Feb 19, 2010

Study contacts

Kenneth H Brown, MD
principal investigator · University of California, Davis

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2010. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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