As obesity increased worldwide, interest grew in CLA as a potential weight loss treatment. Animal studies suggest that CLA may reduce body fat in several ways In mouse studies, it was found to reduce food intake, increase fat burning, stimulate fat breakdown and inhibit fat production 17 , 18 , 19 , CLA has also been studied extensively in randomized controlled trials, the gold standard of scientific experimentation in humans — though with mixed results.
Some studies indicate that CLA can cause significant fat loss in humans. It may also improve body composition by reducing body fat and increasing muscle mass 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , However, many studies show no effect at all 26 , 27 , In a review of 18 controlled trials, CLA was found to cause modest fat loss The effects are most pronounced during the first six months, after which fat loss plateaus for up to two years.
According to this paper, CLA can cause an average fat loss of 0. Another review gathered that CLA caused about 3 pounds 1. While these weight loss effects may be statistically significant, they are small — and there is potential for side effects. Though CLA supplements are linked to fat loss, the effects are small, unreliable and unlikely to make a difference in everyday life. Many long-term observational studies have assessed disease risk in people who consume larger amounts of CLA. Notably, people who get a lot of CLA from foods are at a lower risk of various diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cancer 31 , 32 , Additionally, studies in countries where cows predominantly eat grass — rather than grain — show that people with the most CLA in their bodies have a lower risk of heart disease However, this lower risk could also be caused by other protective components in grass-fed animal products, such as vitamin K2.
Of course, grass-fed beef and dairy products are healthy for various other reasons. Many studies show that people who eat the most CLA have improved metabolic health and a lower risk of many diseases. However, some things, such as how it affects diabetes, have not been proven. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, close to three out of four American adults are either overweight or obese.
Can CLA help you? It might, if you know how to use it. Most of the studies conclude that a person needs to take 3. The amounts used in many of the studies were two to three times higher, but the treatment period was only 12 weeks. And where you get those 3. According to Peter W. Studies at the University of Wisconsin indicate that CLA dietary consumption may have dropped as much as 80 percent in the last two decades.
Changes in livestock feeding practices over the last 50 years have largely removed naturally occurring CLA from our diet. Larry D. Satter, Ph. Satter found that pasture-grazing cows had percent more CLA in their milk than those fed silage. The good news is that the days of CLA-light milk may be numbered. There is a patent pending on the formulation. Until then Pariza says that supplements are the healthiest way to get CLA because they are manufactured to contain a specific balance of biologically active CLA isomers chemical compounds.
To get sufficient CLA you would have to eat a lot of fat. Handpicked content: How long does it actually take to lose weight? CLA is thought to trigger a series of chemical reactions that stimulate fat-burning in the body. As a result, the body increases the amount of calories it burns off and uses its energy stores more efficiently.
Studies have found that having higher levels of CLA in your blood can lead to lower levels of leptin, a hormone believed to regulate fat levels. High leptin levels may play a role in obesity, one of the biggest risk factors for adult-onset diabetes.
One particular study tested the impact of a 4. Unfortunately, this is yet to be widely proven in humans. A randomised control trial was carried out into the impact of 3.
It revealed those who took the supplement burned fat stores more efficiently and used less protein for energy compared to the placebo group. Meanwhile, a separate study explored the impact of 3. It concluded that CLA increased the rate of energy expenditure, specifically by increasing the rate at which fat was burnt. So conflicting is the research that scientists have a tough time even suggesting how CLA is meant to work. While CLA is believed to suppress appetite, few studies have shown this to have any effect on weight or body fat composition.
Based on current evidence, a review published in Nutrition and Metabolism concluded that CLA offered no "promising or consistent health effects so as to uphold it as either a functional or medical food. Beyond its use in weight loss, proponents of CLA supplementation believe that it can enhance athletic performance by stimulating testosterone production in the Leydig cells of the testicles. While it is true that CLA has this effect, the level of stimulation rarely translates to increased energy expenditure.
In fact, review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found inconclusive evidence on many claims made by proponents of CLA supplementation on athletes. Other health benefits are also largely unsupported, including CLA's use in treating diabetes, the common cold, allergic rhinitis hay fever , or asthma. Similarly, while an increased intake of CLA was once linked to a reduction in breast cancer risk, a review of studies was unable to show any association between CLA levels in breast tissue and the risk of cancer, metastasis, or death.
Where CLA may be beneficial is as adjunctive therapy for high blood pressure. When used with Altace ramipril , CLA was shown to achieve better control of hypertension compared to Altace alone, according to a study from China.
Conjugated linoleic acid supplements are generally considered safe if taken as prescribed. CLA is mainly metabolized in the liver. On rare occasion, CLA may cause liver toxicity usually in people with underlying liver disease. Large doses can also trigger the accumulation of fat in the liver, leading to fatty liver disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Conjugated linoleic acid may also slow blood clotting. Taking a CLA supplement along with an anticoagulant "blood thinners" or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug NSAID can further enhance this effecting, leading to easy bruising and bleeding.
Conjugated linoleic acid supplements are typically produced as a gel cap and filled with either sunflower or safflower oil. CLA is classified by the U. Food and Drug Administration as GRAS "generally regarded as safe" and typically prescribed at between 3 grams and 6 grams per day.
Doses greater than 6 grams may increase the risk of side effects. Conjugated linoleic acid is not considered an essential nutrient like vitamins and minerals. Taking them or not taking them will likely have little tangible impact on your health.
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