CLA Shown to Aid Fat Loss

This stuff has been pretty controversial though hasn't it? What is Diet-Blog's opinion on CLA?

Hmmm. Call me a cynic, but I tend to be a disbeliever when it comes to supplements. I think that healthy eating and exercise is all you need. But to but to be fair, I will go read the study.

Brian

Hum. It's a meta-study : they didn't run the trials themselves, but instead relied on studies already done. We don't know anything on how other variables were controlled.

We identified 18 eligible studies. Of these, 3 were single-isomer studies, and results comparing CLA isomers were inconclusive.

We compared the length of treatment by using studies in which a mixture of purified isomers were used and those in which purified trans-10,cis-12 isomers were used. This comparison indicated that the effect of CLA was linear for up to 6 mo and then slowly approached an asymptote at 2 y. An analysis of the dose effect indicated that fat loss compared with placebo was –0.024 kg · g CLA–1 · wk–1 (P = 0.03). After adjustment to the median dose of 3.2 g CLA/d, CLA was effective and produced a reduction in fat mass for the CLA group alone (0.05 ± 0.05 kg/wk; P In other words, losing .44 pounds a week at most, and losing 0 pounds a week at least, are consistent with the data. But, those that didn't gained a tiny amount of weight at the confidence interval.

I'm not running out and buying CLA (or CLA stock).

Oops - my second comment got buried in the block quote.

In other words, losing .44 pounds a week at most, and losing 0 pounds a week at least, are consistent with the data. But, those that didn't gained a tiny amount of weight at the confidence interval.

I'm not running out and buying CLA (or CLA stock).

Supplemental CLA is industrial trans-fat...anyone can go read the patents on how it's made to see this isn't exactly a healthy "add" to your diet/supplement routine. Than again, the powers that be aren't keen on advising you actually eat natural sources of CLA - dairy fats and marbled ruminent meats from grass-fed, pastured animals.

This is indeed confusing, and it's nice to have you folks add some context.

Given some of the health risks of diets heavy in sources of CLA, I'd be hesitant to start including more full-fat dairy and fatty meats in my diet.

And so often supplements of something don't seem to really work like the actual food they're extracted from. But of course, anytime there's the promise of a magical pill that will melt away fat, and at least some science behind it, part of me can't help but be just a bit intrigued!

Crabby McSlacker said:
Given some of the health risks of diets heavy in sources of CLA, I'd be hesitant to start including more full-fat dairy and fatty meats in my diet.[...]

Which raises questions - are those studies used to support the assertion that meat and full-fat dairy are potentially harmful controlled well enough for confounding variables to be reliable?

For example in a number of studies where patients (VA Hospital) with atherosclerotic disease were fed diets rich with sautrated fat - greater than 50% of calories came from foods like eggs, butter and meat - but starch was eliminated from their intake, not only did their cholesterol levels improve, but their condition improved.

In epidemiological studies, there is no consistency regarding saturated fat intake - countries like France and Iceland have sky-high consumption of saturated fat in their diet, yet are among the countries with the lowest heart disease rates. Japan, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of the spectrum - lower fat, and among the nations with the lowest rates of heart disease too. Are our high rates of disease, along with the high rates seen in other countries like the UK, due to saturated fat intake, or another confounder in the habitual diet or environement?

Is it the fat? Is it the fat coupled with higher intake of added sugars? Is it the fat from animals fed improperly - a diet of unnatural feeds and grains? Is it source of protein? Is it something else?

Few ask why, when we compare between countries, there is no consistent finding to implicate saturated fat, meat, eggs or full-fat dairy in the development of heart disease - or for that matter, all cause mortality.

I'm not suggesting anyone go eat tons of meat, eggs and full-fat dairy - nope - each person has to find the dietary approach they feel comfortable with....but I do think it's reasonable that we question the dogma we're told again and again, especially when there is much data available that directly counters the current position that saturated fat kills.

Regina W said:

Which raises questions - are those studies used to support the assertion that meat and full-fat dairy are potentially harmful controlled well enough for confounding variables to be reliable?

But other studies have hinted at serious adverse health effects. Researchers have found that it can increase blood levels of C-reactive protein, lipoprotein and leptin — all of which can heighten the risk of heart disease. There is also some evidence that taking C.L.A. daily increases insulin resistance, a sign of impending Type 2 diabetes.

I'm not disagreeing with your general point - I'm all for questioning dogma - but this positive result is, I think, pretty shaky. I wouldn't advise people following a high saturated fat diet because it would increase their level of CLA.

On your question:

Is it the fat? Is it the fat coupled with higher intake of added sugars? Is it the fat from animals fed improperly - a diet of unnatural feeds and grains? Is it source of protein? Is it something else?

Quito said:
I don't know which studies Crabby had in mind, but a recent article in the New York Times covering this study also reported: But other studies have hinted at serious adverse health effects. Researchers have found that it can increase blood levels of C-reactive protein, lipoprotein and leptin — all of which can heighten the risk of heart disease. There is also some evidence that taking C.L.A. daily increases insulin resistance, a sign of impending Type 2 diabetes.[...]

Supplemental CLA, IMHO, is not advisable - as I said above, it's really an industrial trans-fat. If you go back in the literature, back to the mid-80's and early 90's before processes were patented to manufacture CLA in a lab, interest was high because CLA that was naturally occuring in food was found to benefit health, thus the push to make it and sell it as supplements.

I'm not disagreeing with your general point - I'm all for questioning dogma - but this positive result is, I think, pretty shaky. I wouldn't advise people following a high saturated fat diet because it would increase their level of CLA.

I think, after reading extensively of the literature, you'd have to first define "high" and then define the context of the diet in which naturally occuring CLA and saturated fat is consumed. Context matters.

Hi Regina,

Regina W said:

I think, after reading extensively of the literature, you'd have to first define "high" and then define the context of the diet in which naturally occuring CLA and saturated fat is consumed. Context matters.

Here's my point again, worded to avoid any sensitivity to the use and misuse of the term "high fat" - I would not recommend that anyone make a major change in their diet solely for the purpose of increasing CLA. I would absolutely not recommend that anyone make any change in their diet to increase CLA on the basis of this study.

Getting back to the many questions you raised:

In epidemiological studies, there is no consistency regarding saturated fat intake - countries like France and Iceland have sky-high consumption of saturated fat in their diet, yet are among the countries with the lowest heart disease rates. Japan, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of the spectrum - lower fat, and among the nations with the lowest rates of heart disease too. Are our high rates of disease, along with the high rates seen in other countries like the UK, due to saturated fat intake, or another confounder in the habitual diet or environement?

My objection to any diet that is focused on "good" and "bad" nutrients is that they focus on nutrients and not food. When presented with a new diet, people ramp up on foods that contain the "good" nutrients, often encouraged by new products and product labeling by an eager-to-please food industry (this is supported beautifully by the data set I pointed to under this thread) As we all know, we're off to the races again with low gluten - there were 30,000 new low gluten products in the US alone last year as compared to 500 new low carb products. Ice cream is starting to look like a wise choice as a staple...

I'm on a Volumetrics-über-alles jag these days because it is focused on food, not nutrients, and it doesn't forbid anything. Including ice cream ^_^.

Has anyone noticed where it said that the results gradually tapered off after six months?
I took CLA for a long time, maybe 5 months, and lost a couple inches on my stomach. I didn't change anything else so I assumed it was from the CLA. However, when I stopped taking it, the inches slowly came back. This raises the question, would you have to take CLA for the rest of your life to make your results permanent?
There haven't been any studies (to my knowledge) that have gone on for over a year - so who knows what taking this stuff for life could do to you?

I took CLA for just a little bit (in conjuction with exercise-- cardio and weight training-- but no change there)and it seemed to have a small impact...

However, then I realized what CLA actually IS, and threw the rest out.

We should eat lots of animals raised on their natural diets, regardless. Then you won't need the supplements, or the freak cows (see that other post) or any of this other nonsense!

I REALLY THINK THAT SOME SUPPLEMENTS SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE WE ALREADY GET PLENTY IN OUR DIETS AND IF YOU WANT AND HAVE LOOKED INTO THEM ENOUGH TO START TAKING THEM OR YOUR DOCTOR HAS YOU TAKE THEM THEN YOU SHOULD DO WHAT YOU FEEL IS BEST FOR YOU AND YOUR BODY!

I don't know if it helped me lose weight or not (it could have been the eating changes alone), but I do know it made me quite sick to my stomach.

Well,guess I work in the dietary supplement industry and there is a proven fact that in combination with excercise, taking CLA supplements will mainly decrease your'e body fact percentage..Not necessarily pounds, but percentage....

The CLA story is an interesting one. I have a couple of thought after reading the article.

1) Certainly doesn't appear to aid drastically - certainly not as much as it has with animal studies. Sounds as though it may be effective for those who have tried other exercise/dietary interventions and have plateaued. In any case, this seems akin to wearing thinner socks to run a faster marathon.

2) That being said, CLA is one of the more promising supplements for fat loss as it has been shown to make a clear (albeit small) difference in body fat reduction.

3) While other fat burning supplements have shown favourable results, CLA appears to be safe unlike many of the thermogenic supplements containing ephedra.

4) One study showed that after 1 year, there was no difference in terms of the subject's ability to prevent regain of weight. (Healthy, obese subjects)American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2006 Mar;83(3):606-12.

5) I don't know that the correlation between CLA consumption and high fat milk is valid. At 1 g/L of high fat milk, one would have to drink 3.2 L/day to get the avg. dosage in the study. I suppose you would get it from other sources though. On the link to the high fat milk study, I would like to know how well controlled it was. Observational studies make me leary as it is often some other factor that accounts for the effect. Fat content aside, a cup of full fat milk contains 30kcal more than a cup of non-fat milk. At 3 glasses a day, this would not make sense that those drinking HF milk would lose more weight.

Regarding the speculation as to why the CLA appears to only be effective for 6 months, I guess perhaps our bodies become saturated with CLA after a while and it loses its effect?

Insulin resistence was from a '99 study on mice where there was evidence of fatty buildup in liver which is characteristic of insulin resistence (total speculation that the fat means insuline resistance, and that mice & men are the same). Around the same time was a rat study which totally contridicted the mice study results. There hs since been studies (I think arounfd'02)on rabbits that were very possitive. There was evidence on a reduction of plaque in the aorta. Then later mice studies seemed to substantiate this. Human studies have shown positive rresults but there were uncontrolled variables that need to be identified and controlled. These studies need to be taken with a grain of salt. Researchers now think they know these variables and are ramping up (as of May '07) for another human study. I've been taking CLA for the past two weeks. In two weeks I'll draw blood and get a lipid profile along with liver function and glucose levels... and maybe a few others. I've also been watching a little more what I eat. I'm 49 6-2 200.. or was.. I'm now 195 and have to admit I haven't been working out 6 day/week like I normally do. I've been having trouble the past 2 years dropping even a few lbs. And I think the little fat I have around my wasteline is a little smaller today then a few weeks ago (I actually noticed this morning that I went in one more belt hole today as I got dressed). So make of it as you will. I'll see the true results in 2 weeks when I get tested. The weight loss is unimportant. It's my lipids etc that are the most important.

CLA works and it's a great product. What usually happens with products like this, is that people will start taking it and won't change there eating and exercise habits and expect to SEE any noticeable results. This article is titled "CLA Shown to Aid Fat Loss", with (AID) being a very important word. Most people get the idea that in order for you to burn fat from a product you have to "FEEL" something, like the effect you get from caffeine. But if you change your eating habits and exercise more to burn off more calories, you will notice fat loss while taking CLA.

With something like CLA I think it depends on the person. Certain people tend to really enjoy taking it and whether it is the placebo effect or not seem to get great results off of it.