Conjugated Linoleic Acid for Weight Loss

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CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, has been touted as a miracle weight loss solution by some, but is it too good to be true?

In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits and limitations of using CLA for fat and weight loss, and give you tips on how to find the best types of CLA supplements to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

What is CLA?

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are primarily found in beef, lamb, and dairy products. They are considered a omega-6 fatty acid.

Types of CLA

There are several different isomers of CLA, but the two most important ones are called cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12.

Studies have shown that the cis-9, trans-11 isomer of CLA may be responsible for the majority of its health benefits, including its ability to promote weight loss and reduce inflammation.

On the other hand, the trans-10, cis-12 isomer has been linked to negative side effects, such as insulin resistance and increased inflammation.

The most common isomer found in food is the cis-9,trans-11 form, and it is usually found in a ratio of 30-70:1 compared to the other form. The ratio of these two isomers in CLA supplements can vary.

CLA in foods

CLA is naturally found in a lot of animal dairy and meat products, so things like cow or goat milk, yogurt, cheese, as well as beef and lamb. It’s found in the fatty components, so the higher fat milks or fattier cuts of meat will have higher concentrations of CLA.

While it’s true that CLA is naturally found in some foods, the amounts of food you would need to consume to get a therapeutically effective dose wouldn’t be feasible.

To give you some examples, we can see from research studies that the effective daily dose sits around 3 grams of CLA per day.

1. 100 grams of lean ground beef provides around 150 mg of CLA. You would need about 2 kg of lean ground beef to get 3 grams of CLA. That’s like 6 or 7 thousand kcal.
2. The average glass of whole milk provides around 40 mg of CLA. You would need about 75 glasses of whole milk to get 3 grams of CLA. That’s over 10 thousand kcal.

So while CLA does occur naturally in foods, it wouldn’t be feasible to try to get CLA from your diet for weight loss.

If you wanted to use CLA for any potential weight loss, you would need to use a supplement.

How are CLA supplements made?

CLA supplements are typically manufactured from safflower oil, which is high in linoleic acid. The process involves a series of chemical reactions that convert linoleic acid into conjugated linoleic acid.

First, the linoleic acid is extracted from the safflower oil and purified. Then, it is subjected to a process called isomerization, which rearranges the positions of the double bonds in the molecule to create the conjugated form of linoleic acid.

The resulting mixture of different CLA isomers is then purified and concentrated into a powder or liquid form that can be used in supplements.

Different manufacturing methods can produce CLA supplements with varying ratios of different isomers, which may have different biological effects.

Standardized blends like Tonalin and Clarinol focus on the cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12 isomers, and use a 50:50 ratio of both. But other non-standardized CLA supplements may use other isomers which may or may not have any useful biological effects.

Benefits for weight loss

Here are some ways CLA is believed to help with weight and fat loss:

• Decreases body fat mass: Oral CLA supplementation can decrease body fat mass in both adults and children, including abdominal fat mass. This is supported by several studies.
• Increases lean body mass: CLA supplementation can also increase lean body mass, which may lead to improved body composition and metabolic health.
• Reduces hunger and increases satiety: CLA may reduce hunger and increase satiety, leading to lower calorie intake and potentially aiding in weight loss. However, it’s important to note that appetite suppression may not necessarily result in lower energy intake or improved body weight maintenance.
• May improve insulin sensitivity: Some studies suggest that CLA supplementation may improve insulin sensitivity, which is important for regulating blood sugar levels and preventing type 2 diabetes.
• Synergistic effects with exercise: CLA may have synergistic effects with exercise, potentially enhancing the beneficial effects of physical activity on body composition and metabolic health.

It’s important to note that while CLA supplementation may offer some benefits for weight and fat loss, the evidence is not consistent and the magnitude of the effects is generally small.

Side effects

While CLA supplements are generally considered safe for most people, some side effects have been reported. These side effects include:

• Digestive issues: Some people may experience digestive problems such as diarrhea, stomach pain, and nausea after taking CLA supplements.
• Insulin resistance: CLA supplements may decrease insulin sensitivity in some individuals, leading to insulin resistance.
• Increased inflammation: CLA supplements have been shown to increase inflammation and cholesterol in some people, which can exacerbate certain cardiovascular conditions.
• Liver damage: In very rare cases, CLA supplements have been associated with liver damage.

Overall, it’s pretty well tolerated. Some people will experience mild gastrointestinal upsets, things like burping, farting, diarrhea, and nausea.

It’s an oil and you need to take a decent amount of it for it to be effective, and some people find that ingesting an oil on an empty stomach can be uncomfortable.

How effective is it for weight loss?

CLA supplements might be better at improving fat composition in the body, rather than straight weight loss. It may slightly reduce body fat, including belly fat in some people. However, it’s not clear whether they can help with weight loss, BMI reduction, or improving metabolism.

While CLA supplements may help reduce hunger and make you feel full, they may not necessarily lead to a lower calorie intake or better weight maintenance.

Studies show that the effects of CLA on body weight and BMI are not consistent, and most research suggests that it may not reduce total body weight or BMI.

A meta-analysis suggests that CLA supplementation may result in weight loss by 0.7 kg and fat loss by 1.3 kg, over 6-12 months.

Also, taking more than 3.4 grams of CLA supplements daily does not seem to provide any extra benefits.

Some studies have looked at the effects of eating foods enriched with CLA, a type of healthy fat. However, research shows that consuming CLA-enriched butter does not improve metabolism in overweight men.

Eating goat cheese naturally enriched with CLA and omega-3 fatty acids for 12 weeks also does not seem to have significant benefits for weight loss or metabolic health, except for a possible increase in good cholesterol and a decrease in inflammation.

So there is actually some weak evidence to suggest that taking CLA does appear to help with fat loss. However, you might need to take it for several months to see some very modest effects on your weight.

How to use it for weight loss

I suggest using CLA to help with fat loss during workouts, to potentially reduce fat faster during fat cutting, since CLA appears to be better at improving fat loss with exercise.

You could also use intermittent fasting and tweaking your workouts to burn more fat first, since those strategies will likely yield results faster and more reliably.

There’s no natural way to target fat on certain areas of your body, and CLA is no exception. Your body naturally burns fat from all areas of your body, including your belly.

Taken by itself, CLA is not likely going to cause any fat or weight loss, especially if you aren’t physically active.

Also trying to get CLA from the diet isn’t feasible, although CLA rich foods are often high in protein and fat, making them good options for high-protein or keto diets.

If you’re considering taking CLA, here are some additional tips:

• Choose high-quality supplements: Look for reputable brands that offer high-quality standardized CLA supplements. Not all CLA supplements are created equal and some may contain mostly useless isomers.
• Be patient: You should understand that you’ll likely need to take CLA for several months for it to have any measurable effect on your weight. So if you hope to take CLA for a month or two hoping to burn off some fat quickly, it’s not going to work like that, and you might not want to bother with it.
• Combine with exercise and healthy diet: CLA may have a better effect on fat loss when combined with regular exercise and a healthy diet. It’s also important to maintain a caloric deficit to promote weight loss and consume a balanced diet consisting of whole foods, lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.

Top supplement choices

• CLA (generic) – 2 to 7 caps / day
• CLA (Tonalin) – 2 to 7 caps / day

Learn more about

• Best exercises to lose belly fat
• Other weight loss supplements

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