What Is CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)?
Are CLA supplements effective? The initial findings look promising. Read this short article for more.
LAST UPDATED: April 2019 by Ben.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid
The question on everyone’s teeth as a glut of CLA weight management supplements make their way to the shelves…
Take a look at the video for an explanation and why it may not be the wonder drug everyone is pining for.
Essentially is has demonstrated to help a group of female clinical trial participants lose around 9% of fat without doing any additional exercise nor dieting over 12 months. [1]
Other studies showed that CLA reduced body fat yet had no effect on lean body mass or blood lipids.
Strangely, it had no response to Body Mass Index indicators, either.
It is important to note, that these tests found that doses of greater than 3.4g have no further beneficial advantage. [2]
However, any follow up trials have not provided the same sort of positive or conclusive results which were initially impressive.
‘…the clinical evidence appears to be insufficient and not unanimous regarding the effects on body fat reduction…’ [3]
Conclusion
Clearly there is a link between fat loss and CLA.
However, it appears to be very consistent.
Initial tests looked almost miraculous, and, further trials are starting suggest those first results were either the work of divine intervention, extremely lucky or tampered, because they ave never been replicated again.
As such, it cannot be reliably called upon as a fat loss supplement.
References
[1] https://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20040520/cla-weight-loss#1
[2] Conjugated linoleic acid reduces body fat mass in overweight and obese humans. Blankson H, Stakkestad JA, Fagertun H, Thom E, Wadstein J, Gudmundsen O. J Nutr. 2000 Dec;130(12):2943-8. PMID: 11110851
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4574006/#CR10
