Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a slightly altered form of the essential fatty acid linoleic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid found in beef, lamb and dairy products. . Some studies, mostly in rodents, have shown that CLA could help reduce weight but others have shown conflicting results. The latest human study shows that a year treatment with CLA reduces body fat in overweight adults. It's possible that CLA could be effective as a weight loss supplement but we're not yet totally convinced.

CLA supplement, 750 mg each pill, 50 softgels

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is a recently recognized supplement. CLA is found naturally in a variety of foods, including dairy. CLA offers a rich source of conjugated linoleic acid to supplement the diet naturally.

Each capsule provides 750 mg CLA supplement.
Directions: Take 1, 2 or 3  CLA softgels daily or as recommended by your health care provider.

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Supplements that could suppress appetite, help with weight loss, or improve metabolic syndrome. Many of these are found in a product called Diet Rx
Bitter orange also known as Citrus-Aurantium, also known as bitter orange, Ginger root (Zingiber officinalis), Green-Tea-Extract (Camellia sinensis, standardized to contain 50% polyphenols), Spirulina (Spirulina platensis), CLA fatty acids, Cinnamon root (Cinnamomum cassia), Apple Cider vinegar, Apple pectin, Garcinia Cambogia CitriMax HCA-600 SXS (standardized to contain 60% hydroxycitric acid), Grapefruit extract (Citrus paradise, 4 to 1 extract), Acetyl-l-Carnitine. Banaba extract (standardized to contain 1 % corosolic acid), 5-HTP, Choline bitartrate, Inositol, Carnitine (Hcl), Pomegranate (standardized to contain 40 % ellagic acid), Bitter melon extract (Momordica charantia), Psyllium husk, Coleus forskohlii (standardized to contain 10 % forskohlin).

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is a recently recognized supplement derived from Safflower oil. Years of research at the University of Wisconsin indicate that CLA may help "partition" the way energy is stored and utilized which may result in a reduction of body fat and increased muscle retention.

CLA and cholesterol
I enjoy reading your website. Very informative, educational and truthful. I was taking CLA 1300 for weight loss and suddenly my total blood cholesterol rose. I tried the process of elimination and it was only CLA 1300 that was recently added to my supplements. I had a confirmation of it when I read about the possibility of CLA raising the cholesterol level. Wrote Nature's Way, they just say someone will contact me about it. Nothing!
    A well done human study does not indicate CLA ingestion increases levels of cholesterol.

A diet rich in conjugated linoleic acid and butter increases lipid peroxidation but does not affect atherosclerotic, inflammatory, or diabetic risk markers in healthy young men.
J Nutr. 2008 March. Raff M, Tholstrup T, Basu S, Nonboe P, Sørensen MT, Straarup EM. Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Intake of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been demonstrated to beneficially affect risk markers of atherosclerosis and diabetes in rats. CLA is naturally found in milk fat, especially from cows fed a diet high in oleic acid, and increased CLA intake can occur concomitantly with increased milk fat intake. Our objective was to investigate the effect of CLA as part of a diet rich in butter as a source of milk fat on risk markers of atherosclerosis, inflammation, diabetes type II, and lipid peroxidation. A total of 38 healthy young men were given a diet with 115 g/d of CLA-rich fat (5.5 g/d CLA oil, a mixture of 39.4% cis9, trans11 and 38.5% trans10, cis12) or of control fat with a low content of CLA in a 5-wk double-blind, randomized, parallel intervention study. WThe fatty acid composition of plasma triacylglycerol, cholesterol esters, and phospholipids reflected that of the intervention diets.

Weight loss information
A of 35 older women with type 2 diabetes, found that supplements containing two types of fats -- conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) or safflower oil -- led to healthy changes in body composition over four months. With CLA, the women saw a drop in body mass index (BMI) and in their total level of body fat. With safflower oil, the women's BMI did not change, but they typically shed a couple pounds of fat from the trunk area; they also showed improvements in their blood sugar levels. Dr. Martha Belury, professor of nutrition at Ohio State University in Columbus studied 35 obese women with an average age of 60. Each took either 8 grams of the safflower oil supplement or 8 grams of the CLA supplement every day for 16 weeks; after a one-month break, the women then switched to the other supplement.
Overall, the women showed a small decline in BMI and shed a couple pounds of body fat while on CLA. There was no change in their blood sugar levels or muscle mass. In contrast, while on safflower oil, the women lost body fat in the trunk area and gained some muscle mass, while their blood sugar levels showed a general decline. Studies suggest that CLA affects enzymes involved in body-fat storage, which may explain its benefits for body composition -- but its potential effects on diabetes are unclear. The supplement did not affect blood-sugar control in this study. The amount of safflower oil used in this study was equivalent to just under two teaspoons a day, which is easy to get through food. A number of other oils, like sunflower and corn oils, are also high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. On the other hand, the amount of CLA used in the study would be tough to get through the diet. A liter of full-fat milk, for example, contains only about 1 gram of CLA. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 2009.

CLA studies
Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation for 1 y reduces body fat mass in healthy overweight humans
Jean-Michel Gaullier, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 79, No. 6, 1118-1125, June 2004
Short-term trials showed that conjugated linoleic acid may reduce body fat mass (BFM) and increase lean body mass (LBM), but the long-term effect of CLA was not examined. Objective: The objective of the study was to ascertain the 1-y effect of CLA on body composition and safety in healthy overweight adults consuming an ad libitum diet. Design: Male and female volunteers (n = 180) with body mass indexes (in kg/m2) of 25–30 were included in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Subjects were randomly assigned to 3 groups: CLA free fatty acid (FFA), CLA-triacylglycerol, or placebo (olive oil). Change in BFM, as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included the effects of CLA on LBM, adverse events, and safety variables. Results: Mean (± SD) BFM in the CLA-triacylglycerol and CLA-FFA groups was 8% and 6.9%, respectively, lower than that in the placebo group (P < 0.001). Subjects receiving CLA-FFA had 1.8 ± 4.3% greater LBM than did subjects receiving placebo (P = 0.002). These changes were not associated with diet or exercise. LDL increased in the CLA FFA group, HDL decreased in the CLA-triacylglycerol group, and lipoprotein(a) increased in both CLA groups compared with month 0. Fasting blood glucose concentrations remained unchanged in all 3 groups. Glycated hemoglobin rose in all groups from month 0 concentrations, but there was no significant difference between groups. Adverse events did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusion: Long-term supplementation with CLA-FFA or CLA-triacylglycerol reduces BFM in healthy overweight adults.

The effect of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation after weight loss on body weight regain, body composition, and resting metabolic rate in overweight subjects.
Kamphuis MM, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003 Jul;27(7):840-7.
To study the effects of 13 weeks conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation in overweight subjects after weight loss on weight regain, body composition, resting metabolic rate, substrate oxidation, and blood plasma parameters. This study had a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized design. Subjects were first submitted to a very-low-calorie diet (VLCD 2.1 MJ/d) for 3 weeks after which they started with the 13-week intervention period. They either received 1.8 g CLA or placebo per day (low dosage, LD) or 3.6 g CLA or placebo per day (high dosage, HD). A total of 26 men and 28 women (age 37.8+/-7.7 y; body mass index (BMI) 27.8+/-1.5 kg/m(2)). Before VLCD (t=-3), after VLCD but before CLA or placebo intervention (t=0) and after 13-week CLA or placebo intervention (t=13), body weight, body composition (hydrodensitometry and deuterium dilution), resting metabolic rate, substrate oxidation, physical activity, and blood plasma parameters (glucose, insulin, triacylglycerol, free fatty acids, glycerol and beta-hydroxy butyrate) were measured. The VLCD significantly lowered body weight (6.9+/-1.7%), %body fat, fat mass, fat-free mass, resting metabolic rate, respiratory quotient and plasma glucose, insulin, and triacylglycerol concentrations, while free fatty acids, glycerol and beta-hydroxy butyrate concentrations were increased. Multiple regression analysis showed that at the end of the 13-week intervention, CLA did not affect %body weight regain. The regain of fat-free mass was increased by CLA (LD 6.2+/-3.9, HD 4.6+/-2.4%) compared to placebo, independent of %body weight regain and physical activity. As a consequence of an increased regain of fat-free mass by CLA, resting metabolic rate was increased by CLA compared to placebo. Substrate oxidation and blood plasma parameters were not affected by CLA. In conclusion, the regain of fat-free mass was favorably, dose-independently affected by a 13-week consumption of 1.8 or 3.6 g CLA/day and consequently increased the resting metabolic rate. However, it did not result in improved body weight maintenance after weight loss.

Effect of conjugated linoleic acid on body composition and plasma lipids in humans: an overview of the literature.
Antonius HM, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Studies in mice have indicated that feeding diets containing 0.5-1% conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) considerably reduces body fat. These findings have attracted much interest because of the potential use of CLA as a tool to promote weight loss in humans. Several CLA studies in humans have now been published, and the objective of the present review was to give an overview of these experiments. Most of the studies were done in free-living subjects and were not strictly controlled for nutrient and energy intakes. None of the studies found a significant reduction in body weight, and only 2 studies showed a significant but relatively small body fat-lowering effect. Some studies suggested that CLA may have a tendency to increase lean body mass. Furthermore, there are indications from animal studies that CLA may have effects on plasma lipids. However, only one study in humans showed a significant HDL-cholesterol-lowering effect of CLA; in all the other studies, there were no significant effects on plasma total, LDL-, and HDL-cholesterol concentrations or on plasma triacylglycerol concentrations. Thus, the results of the studies in humans indicate that the effect of CLA on body fat is considerably less than that anticipated from mice studies and that CLA has no major effect on plasma lipids.

Supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid causes isomer-dependent oxidative stress and elevated C-reactive protein: a potential link to fatty acid-induced insulin resistance.
Riserus U, Basu S, Circulation 2002 Oct 8;106(15):1925-9
Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs), a group of fatty acids shown to have beneficial effects in animals, are also used as weight loss supplements. Recently, we reported that the t10c12 CLA-isomer caused insulin resistance in abdominally obese men via unknown mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to examine whether CLA has isomer-specific effects on oxidative stress or inflammatory biomarkers and to investigate the relationship between these factors and induced insulin resistance. In a double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 60 men with metabolic syndrome were randomized to one of 3 groups receiving t10c12 CLA, a CLA mixture, or placebo for 12 weeks. Insulin sensitivity (euglycemic clamp), serum lipids, in vivo lipid peroxidation (determined as urinary 8-iso-PGF(2alpha) [F2-isoprostanes]), 15-ketodihydro PGF(2alpha), plasma vitamin E, plasma C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 were assessed before and after treatment. Supplementation with t10c12 CLA markedly increased 8-iso-PGF(2alpha) (578%) and C-reactive protein (110%) compared with placebo (P<0.0001 and P<0.01, respectively) and independent of changes in hyperglycemia or dyslipidemia. The increases in 8-iso-PGF(2alpha), but not in C-reactive protein, were significantly and independently related to aggravated insulin resistance. Oxidative stress was related to increased vitamin E levels, suggesting a compensatory mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: t10c12 CLA supplementation increases oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in obese men. The oxidative stress seems closely related to induced insulin resistance, suggesting a link between the fatty acid-induced lipid peroxidation seen in the present study and insulin resistance. These unfavorable effects of t10c12 CLA might be of clinical importance with regard to cardiovascular disease, in consideration of the widespread use of dietary supplements containing this fatty acid.

Readers questions
I have noticed a couple of internal scars I have reduce noticeably each time I take CLA. The effects seem to be from ingestion and not as much from opening a capsule and applying directly. Do the affects on tumors go the same for scar tissues of this type? This is over a number of years for me.
    We have not seen any studies to give us a clear view on this topic.


 

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