The Consumer Guide to CLA
In this guide...
Benefits and Uses
Recent findings:
Do Scientists Know How It Works?
Food sources:
Types of products:
Safety:
Books:
References
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CLA is a naturally occurring fatty acid component of beef, milk, and other foods. It is derived from linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 fatty acid, and was discovered by scientists in 1978.
Benefits and Uses:
Conjugated linoleic acid helps regulate how the body accumulates and retains fat. Athletes and people looking to lose weight take it to reduce appetite, promote fat burning, and increase lean muscle mass. A growing body of evidence also suggests that CLA can help to prevent cancer of the breast and other organs, and reduce plaque formation and thus help prevent heart disease. In animals it has been shown to promote early growth and to boost immunity.
Recent findings:
A 1998 study done on mice found that CLA could lower body fat by several mechanisms, including reduced energy intake, increased metabolic rate, and a shift in the mix of fuels the body burns at night. Researchers at Purdue University say that they have provided the first evidence that CLA is able to normalize impaired glucose tolerance, which may prove to be an important therapy for the prevention and treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes. A comparison of the cancer-preventing properties of CLA and three other fatty acids found that CLA is unique in that low concentrations (equal to or less than 1 percent) "are sufficient for producing significant cancer protection and that this effect seems to be independent of the other fatty acids."
Do Scientists Know How It Works?
CLA shares some of the properties of other fatty acids, such as helping to maintain the health of cells' membranes and improving nutrient use. CLA is also a potent antioxidant. Many of its benefits are thought to result from its effects on fat regulation. CLA apparently inhibits at least two enzymes. One enzyme breaks down fat in the blood and the other breaks down fat stored in fat cells. The end result is a reduction in fat deposits and increased use of fat reserves for energy
Food sources:
CLA occurs in various foods, although within the past two decades Americans have drastically reduced their consumption of the most prevalent sources (beef, whole milk, eggs, and cheese) to reduce overall fat and cholesterol. Lite and low-fat versions of dairy products are mostly devoid of CLA. Another factor reducing how much CLA we eat today is that cows make CLA from linoleic acid, which is found in grasses but occurs in low levels in the type of mixed grain feed now used by most cattle farmers. Dairy researchers recently determined that the percentage of CLA in the milk fat derived from cows that have been grazing fresh pasture was more than double that of cows fed the conventional grain-based diet. Other sources of CLA include turkey, chicken, and vegetable oils.
Types of products:
CLA comes in capsules and softgels that range in potency from 600 to 1,000 mg. The CLA used in supplements is usually derived from safflower or sunflower oils.
Safety:
The preliminary evidence suggests that CLA is safe and nontoxic at supplemental levels.
- West, D.B., et al., "Effects of conjugated linoleic acid on body fat and energy metabolism in the mouse," Am J Physiol (1998), 275(3 Pt 2):R667-72
- Houseknecht, K.L., et al., "Dietary conjugated linoleic acid normalizes impaired glucose tolerance in the Zucker diabetic fatty fa/fa rat," Biochem Biophys Res Commun (1998), 244(3):678-82
- Ip, C., "Review of the effects of trans fatty acids, oleic acid, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and conjugated linoleic acid on mammary carcinogenesis in animals," Am J Clin Nutr (1997), 66(6 Suppl):1523S-29S
- Kelly, M.L., et al., "Effect of intake of pasture on concentrations of conjugated linoleic acid in milk of lactating cows," J Dairy Sci (1998), 81(6):1630-36
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