Health benefits of CLA

Some people exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet, and yet still have trouble getting rid of body fat. Turns out that a little help from a fatty acid supplement may be all they need to help take care of the fat. And this may even be the case for those who aren’t terribly diligent in the exercise and diet departments.

In the e-Alert “Beef ‘n’ Butter” (4/20/04), I told you about two studies that examined the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on overweight subjects. In one study, subjects who took CLA supplements significantly reduced their body fat compared to a placebo group. And in the other study, subjects who took CLA reported a decrease in feelings of hunger (compared to placebo), resulting in lower calorie intake.

As revealing as these studies are, they lasted only 12 and 13 weeks, respectively. Now a new study has produced similar positive results, with no adverse side effects, over the period of a year.

Researchers in Norway enlisted 180 overweight, but otherwise healthy, men and women. Over the course of 12 months, those who received 3.4 grams of CLA daily showed a significant reduction in body fat mass compared to the placebo group. During the study period, diet was not restricted and exercise was not monitored by the researchers.

CLA can be found in butter, beef and whole milk, but only when these foods come from grass-fed cattle. When cattle are fed grain and hay the CLA content drops. And as I’ve addressed in previous e-Alerts, for optimum health, raw unpasteurized milk is always far preferable to the pasteurized milk you’ll find on most grocery shelves.

As for supplements, Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., recommends that his patients take 2 to 4 grams of CLA daily, but cautions that because CLA has not yet been researched extensively enough in humans, the possible side effects of higher doses are unknown. And if you do go the supplement route, you should also be sure to take a broad range of other fatty acids.

I think we’re going to be hearing a lot more about the benefits of CLA, which has also been shown to help reverse existing atherosclerosis, decrease progression of osteoporosis, and aid in the management of glucose and insulin levels. So I’ll be keeping an eye out for further studies.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

Sources:
“Conjugated Linoleic Acid supplementation for 1Y Reduces Body Fat Mass in Healthy Overweight Humans” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 79, No. 6, June 2004, ajcn.org
“Landmark Study Confirms Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Helps Reduce Body Fat by as Much as Nine Percent” PRNewswire, 5/20/04, prnewswire.co.uk
“Clinical Tip 79: Preventing Cancer with Ground Beef and Butter?!” Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Nutrition and Health Newsletter, November 2000, wrightnewsletter.com