CLA

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is back in the news again. Researchers have combined data from 18 previous studies and arrived at a conclusion:

You may have heard of the compound CLA – or conjugated linoleic acid – that originally was found in small amounts in beef and dairy products.

Many people take the supplement form of CLA to lose body fat, especially abdominal fat, build lean muscle and even fight cancer. Up till now, there have been many studies on CLA in humans, touting the various weight loss benefits.

But how do we know it's really safe?

Food scientists at the University of Arkansas have come up with a new kind of trans fat by "juggling the molecular structure of soy oil." Proctor and Jain have used the converted oil to produce potato chips that contain high concentrations of CLA. Proctor calls them "healthier potato chips."

A large study of more than 19,000 middle-aged women has concluded that "only whole milk, and not low-fat milk, seemed to offer protection against weight gain."